OCALA, Fla. — A 9-year-old boy is accused of stabbing his younger sister multiple times and is now facing charges of attempted first-degree murder.
The little girl is in stable condition after being flown to a nearby hospital Monday night.
Police responded to the call of a little girl stabbed. Officers said the mother walked in on the incident after getting the mail.
“He was stabbing her,” the mother said frantically in a 911 call. “I don’t know what happened. He ran.”
Police said the mother was out of the apartment for about 10 minutes, and they said this wasn’t a quick stabbing.
“This is something that happened over a prolonged amount of time,” said Corie Byrd with the Ocala Police Department.
In the 911 call, the mother said the boy ran when she walked in. Officers say they found the 9-year-old in a shed on the property.
“The conversation with investigators was a little disturbing for them hearing from a 9-year-old -- he thought about it a couple of days prior," Byrd said. "It was a thought that couldn’t leave his head."
A next-door neighbor tells First Coast News she has felt for some time the boy was troubled after she says he robbed her apartment. She did not want to do an interview with First Coast News but instead allowed her mother to speak on her behalf.
“He had a butcher knife and he went through the window,” said Marquetta Rojas, mother of the next-door neighbor.
Rojas’ daughter’s apartment had plenty of toys and jewelry within, but Rojas said the boy chose food.
“When she went inside, nothing was missing, but her cabinets were open,” Rojas said. “My question is if this kid is stealing food, why is he hungry?”
Rojas said her daughter called the police but did not press charges. Rojas also says kids in the neighborhood have been scared of the little boy for some time.
“He’s been crying out for help and no one helped him,” Rojas said. “No one helped, and now look what happened.”
The boy had his first court appearance Tuesday morning. The judge immediately ordered a psychiatric evaluation.