A Nevada preteen is accused of stabbing her father to death after an argument over her punishment for running away earlier that day.
North Las Vegas police arrested the 12-year-old girl after responding to a call from a concerned family member about a possible homicide on Friday.
Police arrived at an apartment in the 3400 block of Mercury Street around 9:30 p.m. and discovered the uninjured girl and her father, James Waldie, 55, lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
The girl, whose name is not being released, initially claimed that someone broke into her home and killed her father, but eventually confessed to the stabbing, police said.
‘Detectives interviewed the daughter who provided information about a disagreement with her father earlier that night. “The disagreement reportedly involved disciplinary actions taken by the father,” said North Las Vegas Police Lt. Ann Taylor.
“The minor made different statements about what had happened that night, but finally confessed that she had stabbed her father after becoming angry with him.”
Waldie had called police earlier that day to report that her daughter had run away for the second time this month.
Police located the girl and returned her to her home, where she would allegedly kill her father after a fight over her punishment.
He investigation revealed a history of domestic problems and police calls to the family home that led to the homicide.
Police have charged a 12-year-old girl with the murder of her father James Waldie, 55 (pictured)
Police arrived at an apartment in the 3400 block of Mercury Street (pictured) and discovered the uninjured girl and her dead father lying in a pool of blood.
On December 7, officers responded to a report of a runaway juvenile who was eventually located and returned home safely.
Later that month, officers responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at the apartment where police determined the girl had hit her father causing visible injuries, leading to her arrest on December 13.
Police said there is no evidence that anyone else was in the home at the time of the crime and that the girl had suffered no previous injuries.
“Detectives also determined that there were no signs of forced entry into the home and it was established that the only residents of the apartment were the 55-year-old male victim and his minor daughter,” Taylor said.
“Throughout the investigation, no evidence was found to indicate that the minor suffered significant physical injuries prior to the events of December 27.”
The Clark County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Waldie’s cause of death was stab wounds to the neck.
The girl was arrested and booked into the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center on charges of murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
Waldie is survived by his wife, six daughters and three sons, according to his obituary.
Waldie is survived by his wife, six daughters and three sons. The family said he embodied unconditional love, humanity and the spirit of perseverance.
The girl was arrested and booked into the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center charged with murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
“(Waldie) left an indelible mark on the lives of all who were lucky enough to have known him,” his obituary read.
“His memory will continue to inspire and guide us, reminding us of his unconditional love, his humanity and the spirit of perseverance he embodied.”
Earlier this month, a New Mexico teenager was arrested after calling 911 while intoxicated and confessing to killing his parents and two siblings.
Diego Leyva was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and booked as an adult after he allegedly shot members of his family before turning himself in on December 14.
Investigators said Leyva, of Belen, Valencia County, was “extremely intoxicated” when police arrived to arrest him and that they had found a gun on the kitchen table inside.
“Officers entered the residence and found four individuals deceased,” police said in a statement.
The victims have since been identified as Leonardo Leyva, 42, and Adriana Bencomo, 35, and teenagers Adrián and Alexander Leyva, 16 and 14, all killed by suspected gunshot wounds.