Police have arrested a British teenager for allegedly causing a 9-year-old girl’s death.
The Avon and Somerset Police issued a press release on the killing of Aria Thorpe, who died in a house in Somerset on Monday, December 15.
Authorities said they have charged the suspect, a 15-year-old boy, with murder, the statement confirms.
The boy attended a hearing at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, December 17, according to the statement.
It was unclear if the boy or a representative for him was asked to enter a plea in court. He was, however, asked for his name and address, BBC reports.
According to the press release, emergency services were called to a home Monday at approximately 6:10 p.m. local time.
“The boy — who cannot be publicly identified as a child defendant — was arrested in Worle a short time later,” it is stated in the release.
The first police officer arrived at the scene three minutes after the emergency services’ call, but Aria was pronounced dead soon after.
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“A post-mortem examination has been carried out, and the preliminary finding is that the death was as a result of a single stab wound,” officials explained in the release.
The boy’s next court hearing will be at the Bristol Crown Court on Friday, December 19.
Aria had only just celebrated her ninth birthday two weeks ago. Her parents organized a KPop Demon Hunters-themed party for Aria, according to U.K. newspaper the Times.
“This remains an incredibly difficult time for Aria’s family, who we continue to support and update around our investigation,” Superintendent Jen Appleford said in a statement. “It is impossible to adequately describe how traumatic the past 36 hours have been for them, and we’d like to reiterate in the strongest possible terms their request for privacy.”
Added Appleford: “The tragic loss of such a young girl has caused a huge amount of shock and upset, with there being a profound sense of loss felt throughout the community. We are working closely with partner agencies and schools across the Weston area to make sure those affected receive access to any support they need.”
Friends and neighbors described Thorpe as a “lovely little girl” to the Times.
The little girl loved fashion, makeup, and trying different hair styles.
She also ran a YouTube channel with one of her friends and was making money locally by cleaning cars.
Neighbor Tamara Taylor, 40, whose daughter was best friends with Thorpe, told the Times, “Aria was a lovely little girl, sassy for her age, she loved dressing up and doing what little girls do.”
“She and my daughter were best friends, they were always playing together and would be in each other’s houses every night,” she continued. “I’m dreading telling her when she comes home from school later. How do you tell an 8-year-old girl that her best friend has been murdered?”
Taylor said they attended the recent birthday bash.
“I just can’t believe it. You hear about these things and then suddenly it’s on your own doorstep,” she said.
Thorpe lived with her mother, Victoria Hull, 36, and older siblings, reported the Times, and attended Becket Primary School.