Vegas girl aged 12 is charged with her father's brutal murder
A Nevada pre-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 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 juvenile 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 broke into their home and killed her dad, but ultimately confessed to the stabbing, cops said.
'Detectives interviewed the daughter who provided information about a disagreement with her father earlier that evening. The disagreement reportedly involved disciplinary action taken by the father,' North Las Vegas Police Lieutenant Ann Taylor said.
'The juvenile made different claims regarding what had occurred that night but ultimately confessed that she had stabbed her father after becoming upset with him.'
Waldie had called police earlier in the day to report his daughter had runaway for a second time this month.
Police located the girl and returned her home where she would go on to allegedly kill her father after a fight over her punishment.
The investigation revealed a history of domestic issues and police calls to the family home leading up to the homicide.
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 dead father lying in a pool of blood
On December 7, officers responded to a report of a runaway juvenile who was ultimately located and returned home safely.
Later in the month, officers responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at the apartment where police determined the girl had battered her father causing visible injuries which led 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 the girl had suffered no previous injuries.
'Detectives also determined that there were no signs of forced entry into the home and it was established that the only residents of the apartment were the 55-year-old male victim and his juvenile daughter,' Taylor said.
'Throughout the investigation, no evidence was found to indicate that the juvenile sustained any significant physical injuries prior to the events of December 27.'
The Clark County Coroner's office confirmed 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 the use of a deadly weapon.
Waldie is survived by his wife, six daughters and three sons, according to his 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 the use of a deadly weapon
'[Waldie] left an indelible mark on the lives of everyone 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 that he embodied.'
Earlier this month, a New Mexico teen was arrested after drunkenly calling 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 December 14.
Investigators said Leyva, from Belén, Valencia County, was 'extremely intoxicated' when police arrived to arrest him, and that they had found a handgun on the kitchen table inside.
'Deputies entered the residence to find four deceased individuals,' 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 by suspected gunshot wounds.
