Chastinea Reeves, a 15-year-old Indiana teen who was found safe after a statewide Amber Alert, has been charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of her mother.
Prosecutors announced the charges at a proceeding on Thursday, just days after authorities urged the public to help locate the teen.
Reeves vanished Monday morning after she called the police in Gary, Indiana, and reported that her mother, 34-year-old Jamie Garnett, was the victim of a crime.
When authorities arrived on the scene, they discovered Garnett’s body. The Lake County Coroner’s Office ruled her death a homicide, Chicago’s CBS 2 TV reported.
Investigators were unable to locate Reeves, prompting them to issue the Amber Alert. It stated the teen was considered to be in “extreme danger” and could be the victim of a crime.
When Reeves was found safe on Tuesday, authorities held a brief press conference.
“We will not be releasing much information at this point, just that she has been recovered, the Amber Alert will be canceled and the investigation is still ongoing,” said Dawn Westerfield, a spokeswoman for the Gary Police Department.
Authorities have remained tight-lipped since that time and have yet to comment on the teen’s arrest.
Reeves is reportedly being held at a juvenile detention facility. According to Chicago’s WGN-TV, prosecutors have indicated they want to move the case into adult court.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for April 15.
David Lohr covers crime and missing persons. Tips? Feedback? Send an email or follow him on Twitter.
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Source: HuffPost Black Voices