A 10-year-old Texas boy who claimed self-defense in the stabbing death of a 13-year-old girl has been arrested and charged with her murder.
Houston police were called to an apartment complex the night of February 4 after receiving reports of a fight between two groups of people. Once at the scene, officers found a young girl, later identified as Riley DeArmas, had been stabbed, KTRK reported.
Riley was stabbed during the fight and taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
The boy, who authorities have not publicly identified, told investigators that the girl was part of a group of 20 to 30 people who came to the apartment complex and began assaulting people inside, KHOU 11 reported in February.
He said he stabbed the girl in self-defense, police said.
The boy was detained at the scene, but later released as authorities spoke with witnesses and reviewed surveillance video as part of their investigation.
Following their investigation, the 10-year-old was charged with murder on March 31. He was arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday, according to KHOU 11.
It was not immediately clear why the boy was in North Carolina or when he will be taken to Texas.
In Texas, 10 years old is the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
Riley’s mother, Ashley DeArmas, described her daughter as a gentle and loving soul, who would have soon turned 14. Nearly 100 people gathered for a sunset memorial for Riley days after her death.
“Joyful. Free-Spirited. Happy. A dancer. A singer,” Ashley DeArmas told KHOU 11 at the memorial. “Instead of me celebrating her 14th birthday, I’m celebrating and trying to bury my daughter right now. These balloons could have been for her 14th birthday, not her death.”
During the memorial, DeArmas spoke out about the boy’s claims that he acted in self-defense.
“There was no self-defense. My daughter was attacked,” she said. “She was not a violent person. She would never harm anyone intentionally.”
The little girl’s grief-stricken aunt, Megan DeArmas, became emotional as the balloons were released into the sky during the gathering.
“I will never get a chance to hug her, to tell her I love her, because her life was just cut so short.”
