Teen charged with killing Peoria man with brick released from juvenile custody

PEORIA (25News Now) - A 14-year-old boy, accused of killing a Peoria man by hitting him in the head with a brick earlier this month, has been released from custody, defying the prosecutor’s recommendation to keep the teenager in juvenile detention.

Friday, the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office charged the teen with second-degree murder, alleging he threw a block of concrete at Tony Collier, 50, during an argument on May 10 at Garden and Ligonier on Peoria’s south side.

The coroner’s office said Collier was pronounced dead five days later. An autopsy said Collier suffered severe blunt-force head trauma.

The boy was initially charged with aggravated battery.

A statement from State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos said prosecutors will file a motion asking a judge to reconsider the ruling freeing the teen from custody.

Hoos said the boy will be tried in juvenile court, instead of adult court, because of his age and circumstances of the case.