A Nevada teen is accused of stabbing her father to death after an argument over her punishment for running away earlier in the 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 youth 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 someone had broken into their 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 evening. The disagreement reportedly resulted in disciplinary action from the father,” North Las Vegas Police Lt. Ann Taylor said.
‘The young person made several claims about what happened that night but eventually confessed to stabbing her father after becoming angry with him.’
Waldie had called the police earlier in the day to report that his daughter had run away for the second time this month.
Police located the girl and brought her back home, where she allegedly killed her father after an argument over her punishment.
The research showed a history of domestic troubles and police calls to the family home leading up to the murder.
Police have charged a 12-year-old girl with the murder of her 55-year-old father James Waldie (pictured)
Police arrived at an apartment in the 3400 block of Mercury Street (pictured) and discovered the uninjured girl and her deceased 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 assaulted her father and caused 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 no previous injuries.
“Detectives also determined that there were no signs of forced entry into the residence and it was determined that the only occupants of the apartment were the 55-year-old male victim and his young daughter,” Taylor said.
“Throughout the investigation, no evidence was found to indicate that the juvenile suffered any physical harm 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 a charge of murder with use of a deadly weapon.
According to him, Waldie is survived by his wife, six daughters and three sons obituary.
Waldie is survived by his wife, six daughters and three sons. 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 on a charge of murder with use of a deadly weapon
‘[Waldie] left an indelible mark on the lives of all who were fortunate enough to have known him,” his obituary said.
“His memory will continue to inspire and guide us, reminding us of his unconditional love, humanity and the spirit of perseverance he embodied.”
Earlier this month, a New Mexico teenager was arrested after he drunkenly called 911 and confessed 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 his family members before turning himself in on Dec. 14.
Investigators said Leyva, from Belén, Valencia province, was “extremely drunk” when police arrived to arrest him, and that they found a gun on the kitchen table inside.
“Officers entered the home to find four deceased persons,” police said in a statement.
The victims have since been identified as Leonardo Leyva, 42, and Adriana Bencomo, 35, and teenagers Adrian and Alexander Leyva, aged 16 and 14, all killed from suspected gunshot wounds.