Police in the Northern California town of Valley Springs are searching for a male suspect they say fatally stabbed a 9-year-old girl at her home.
The Calaveras County Sheriff’s office in a Sunday morning statement described the suspect as a “muscular” white or Hispanic male approximately six feet tall. Authorities warned residents in the county to lock their downs as the suspect is considered armed and dangerous.
The victim’s 12-year-old brother reportedly encountered an intruder in his home and witnessed the man flee the residence. The boy then checked on his sister and found she had been stabbed, according to NBC’s Sacramento affiliate KCRA.
The girl was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to KCRA.
The Sheriff’s office has declined to disclose details of the murder, but they plan to release more information Sunday afternoon.
Sheriff’s investigators are scouring Valley Springs and interviewing several people of interest, according to the police statement.
