The stabbing of an 8-year-old-girl that stunned the residents of a northern California community were relieved to hear that there had been an arrest until they found out that the person that had been arrested was the girl's 12-year-old brother.
"It's just shocking," Patti Campbell, a longtime resident of Valley Springs, told the Associated Press. "I don't know what else to say."
Leila Fowler was stabbed last month, shocking the small town located southeast of Sacramento and causing a manhunt for the suspect. Her brother, who police knew was home at the time of the stabbing, told police that he had seen a man run away.
The boy attended a vigil for his sister, accompanying his father and stepmother.
Speculation had built within the community that the boy was somehow involved. His mother spoke to a Sacramento television station, KOVR, and said that her son "could never hurt his sister."
Later that day, police arrested the boy, and he now faces homicide charges.
Aaron Plunk, a neighbor, said he found the arrest staggering, but he could rest easier now. His family had been extra vigilant about making sure doors and windows were locked in the aftermath of the stabbing. Deputies requiring ID from residents as they passed through were also guarding the street.
"I think we were the safest house in the country," Plunk told the Modesto Bee.
His mother, Carla Plunk, found it a relief to know there wasn't a crazy person running around. She had been scared enough to arm herself.
"It's the first time I ever held a gun," she said.
Calaveras Unified School District Superintendent Mark Campbell said that counselors would be available on Monday at all schools.
The district "stands ready to provide whatever level of support and assistance is necessary to the Fowler family," and the community, he said on Sunday.
Police have not released the information that led to the boy's arrest. In addition to the boy's story, a neighbor told detectives that she saw a man flee the home, but she later recanted the story. Police said there were no signs of a burglary or robbery, and they seized several knives from the home as part of the investigation.
Authorities spent more than 2,000 hours on the investigation before arresting the boy on Saturday, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz.
A 12-year-old boy was arrested for stabbing his sister.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
