Little Boy Choked and Beaten to Death for No Reason While Playing Video Games With 15-Year-Old and 27-Year-Old Friend

A little boy was choked and beaten to death with a golf club after he was kept home sick from school and playing video games with a teen and an adult friend late last month, police say.

After allegedly killing 5-year-old Prince McCree on Oct. 25, Erik Mendoza, 15, and 27-year-old David Pietura then tied up his body, wrapped it in a garbage bag and threw him in a dumpster, where he was found in the fetal position.

Authorities say Prince was killed for no apparent reason.

Prince's mother said she kept the boy home from school last Wednesday because he was sick, according to court documents obtained by KFOX TV.

Prince asked "to go into the basement of the residence in the multifamily home to play video games,” according to court documents.

His mother went back to sleep thinking that he was playing games with Pietura, the station reported.

When the mother awoke hours later, the basement lights were off and no one was there.

Police searched the basement and found "blood on the cement floor near carpet runners" and parts of Pietura's basement-level bedroom.

At that point, Pietura allegedly said that "Mendoza used a golf club to strike [Prince] multiple times." He allegedly told the police, "It wasn’t me" and "I loved that kid," per the station.

He also said Mendoza allegedly choked McCree and attempted to move his body into the hallway, according to the station.

Pietura allegedly told Mendoza to get garbage bags. The two allegedly bound the child's legs and arms with tape “so it would be easy to put him in” the garbage bags, per the station, citing police documents.

They are also accused of placing McCree's body in a dumpster and covering it with other garbage.

Surveillance footage allegedly showing Mendoza and Pietura carrying a large garbage bag led to Mendoza's arrest.

Mendoza at first denied any involvement and claimed there was just garbage inside of the bag. He later allegedly admitted to strangling the child and “stabbing three separate victims" on Oct. 23.

Pietura and Mendoza — who is being tried as an adult — were both charged with first-degree intentional homicide, repeated physical child abuse causing death and hiding a corpse.

Mendoza faces three additional charges of reckless use of a dangerous weapon endangering safety.

Pietura could be sentenced to two life sentences plus 12-and-a-half years in prison, and a fine of $25,000. Mendoza could also receive two life sentences plus 65 years in prison and a fine of $100,000.