NEW YORK - The mother of two identical 13-year-old twins charged with beating and raping a 40-year-old woman defended her sons as ''good kids'' as they appeared at a court hearing on the charges.
The twins, who were not identified, were sent to a youth facility after their Family Court hearing Monday. They were charged as juveniles with assault, burglary, rape, robbery and sexual abuse. They were scheduled to return to court on Thursday.
''They're very good kids,'' their mother said outside the court. ''They said they ... didn't touch no lady.''
The twins, who live with their grandmother, were visiting their mother when the attack occurred Sunday night in her Bronx apartment building.
The victim and her 2-year-old son were returning to their apartment with bags of groceries about 8 p.m. The twins offered to help with the bags and then shoved their way into the apartment, police said.
One of the twins grabbed the woman, dragged her to a bedroom, beat her with a plastic jug of water and raped her in front of her son, police said. The other twin allegedly shoved the woman's son to the ground and covered his mouth to stifle his cries.
The twins stole $375 in cash from the woman's purse before running away, police said. The victim and her son were treated for cuts and bruises.
The victim recognized the twins because their mother lives one floor below her, police said.
The twins' grandmother said she doubted the boys, each about 5 feet tall and 110 pounds, could have attacked the woman.
''They're skinny boys,'' the grandmother insisted. ''A 40-year-old woman could knock the devil out of them.''
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