Photo Courtesy of San Diego Town Hall
A pair of teens have been facing attempted murder and hate crime charges following the stabbing of a 16-year-old Black girl in Lakeside, San Diego.
According to news reports, The San Diego Sheriff’s Department said one of the teens was rearrested and charged as authorities investigated the incident. On Apr. 19, they announced that the 15-year-old girl played “a larger role in the attack than initially believed.” She reportedly turned herself in after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
The teen, believed to be the girlfriend of the other suspect, a 16-year-old male, was initially arrested for brandishing a weapon. She was also accused of attacking the victim while yelling racial slurs at her on Apr. 16. The young Black girl was viciously stabbed twice in the back at an apartment complex on Mapleview Street near Channel Road before being rushed to a local hospital. She has reportedly been expected to survive her injuries.
Deputies said the male suspect and a group of his peers previously confronted her and her family regarding an alleged assault that transpired earlier in the day. The group then shouted racial epithets at them, and a fight broke out before she was stabbed.
Shortly after, the teen boy fled the scene but was arrested two days later, on Apr. 18.
On Apr. 21, he appeared in juvenile court and pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said. The charges carried a hate-crime allegation, an allegation of personal infliction of great bodily injuries, and an allegation of personal use of a deadly weapon.
“Multiple aspects of this incident are appalling, and as our investigation moves forward, we will be sure to hold everyone accountable for whom the evidence shows committed a crime,” said DA Summer Stephan. He added that there has been a “disturbing increase in hate crimes with the highest number being committed against persons who are Black.”
Investigators have reportedly been trying to determine if the male suspect’s father was involved in the confrontation between the victim and her relatives.