12-year-old stabs dad to death, then makes up story about break-in, Nevada cops say
A 12-year-old girl is suspected of killing her father “after becoming upset with him” two days after Christmas, police in Nevada said.
The girl initially told a relative that someone may have broken into the apartment, but she later admitted to stabbing her father, according to a video briefing by Lt. Ann Taylor of the North Las Vegas Police Department.
Police went to the home at about 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 27 after a relative reported potential trouble there, Taylor said. The girl told the relative that she’d seen “blood around her father” and “suspected that someone might have broken into the home,” Taylor said.
Officers arrived and found the girl, who appeared to be unhurt, according to the briefing. They then found the 55-year-old father on the floor.
Medics tried to save him, but he was pronounced dead, Taylor said.
Police had been called to the apartment three other times in recent weeks, including earlier on the same day as the stabbing when the father reported his daughter had run away, Taylor said.
The girl was found by police and brought back home, according to the briefing.
A runaway report also was made Dec. 7, and about six days later police responded after a domestic disturbance that left a father with “visible injuries” and led to a juvenile’s arrest, Taylor said.
There was no sign of a break-in on Dec. 27, Taylor said, and the father and daughter were the only two people who lived at the home, Taylor said.
Police said in a news release that “no evidence was found indicating significant physical harm to the girl prior to the incident.”
In an interview with police, the girl said she had a disagreement with her father earlier in the evening over his disciplining her, Taylor said.
The 12-year-old “made different claims regarding what had occurred that night” but ultimately admitted to stabbing her father “after becoming upset with him,” Taylor said in the video briefing.
The girl was booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of murder with the use of a deadly weapon, police said.
“This incident is a reminder of the importance of seeking help during times of crisis,” Taylor said in the briefing.
Police continue to investigate, she said.
This story was originally published December 30, 2024 at 3:52 PM with the headline "12-year-old stabs dad to death, then makes up story about break-in, Nevada cops say."
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