A New York judge has ordered the alleged killer of a high school cheerleader who was stabbed to death to remain in jail.
The 15-year-old suspect, whose name is being withheld by police in Mount Vernon, due to her age, faces charges of manslaughter in the first degree and attempted assault in the first degree, according to a news release.
Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah may upgrade the charges, pending a grand jury review.
On Friday, the female juvenile suspect allegedly stabbed 16-year-old Kayla Green moments after the cheer captain participated in a celebration for Mount Vernon High School’s basketball team.
“Kayla was a beautiful big sister and a special young woman with dreams and ambitions of becoming a doctor one day. She was a cheerleader, a captain, an inspiration,” Shannae Heywood, a spokesperson for the victim’s family, said at a vigil Monday.
The suspect, who allegedly had a history of bullying the victim, showed off the weapon earlier on social media, the outlet said. She was armed with the knife as she confronted the teen a block away from the celebration, per reports.
Green was stabbed in the back and side.
Despite an officer’s efforts to get involved in the altercation, Green died on her way to the hospital.
Her best friend was also stabbed, News 12 The Bronx confirms, although she is expected to recover from her injuries. The friend’s mother, Nicole Duncan, told the station that after the incident her daughter “will never be the same.”
“We want to thank the police officer that risked his life to stop a mob of misguided, violent teens. We thank him and his partner for recognizing that Kayla needed life-saving treatment and their efforts to save her have not gone unnoticed,” Heywood said.
At the suspect’s arraignment, the Westchester County Prosecutor’s office claimed that the killer fled the scene of the crime and attempted to get rid of the knife.
Her defense attorney, Pamela Hayes, argued, “Everyone is jumping to conclusions. The things that are being said have nothing to do with what happened here,” the station reported.
A GoFundMe set up by Green’s family described her as an “honor roll student and a talented dancer” who was “loved and admired by everyone in her community, school and family.”
According to the post, Green had just celebrated her 16th birthday three weeks earlier.
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