A 12-year-old girl was arrested in connection to the death of her stepmother in Elkhart on Thursday night, July 23.
The girl was upset and started a fire in her bedroom, leading to an argument with 50-year-old Maria Torres, Sgt. Chris Snyder with the Elkhart Police Department said. As the two were arguing, the girl stabbed Torres with a knife, which police say likely killed Torres.
The girl’s father tried to restrain her, but she stabbed him before fleeing the apartment, Snyder said. She was later found walking in Bristol.
- RELATED: Woman dies after she was found stabbed in Elkhart, July 24, 2015
The Elkhart Fire Department was called to the scene at 10:09 p.m. for a fire and found Torres and the girl’s father with stab wounds. The coroner was called at 10:42 p.m.
The girl’s father was treated at Elkhart General Hospital. A 16-year-old girl at the home wasn’t injured.
The girl is being held at the Elkhart County Juvenile Detention Center pending a hearing.
On Friday, July 24, The Elkhart County Coroner determined Torres died due to the stabbing. Her death was ruled a homicide.
