A 16-year-old-girl was fatally stabbed in an apparent dispute over sauce outside a McDonald’s in Washington, D.C.Photo:WUSA9news/YouTube
WUSA9news/YouTube
A 16-year-old girl has been charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of another 16-year-old female outside of a McDonald’s in Washington, D.C., in what authorities said was a dispute over sweet-and-sour sauce.
In a press release,Metro Policesaid that authorities early Sunday morning responded to a report of a juvenile at a hospital who was being treated for stab wounds. The teen, later identified as Naima Liggon of Waldorf, Maryland, succumbed to her injuries, police said.
Multiple outlets — includingThe Washington Post,NBC WashingtonandWTOP— reported on the incident. According to police, the fatal stabbing occurred outside of a McDonald’s in the 1900 block of 14th Street, Northwest. Liggon was taken to the hospital in a privately-owned vehicle.
At a D.C. Superior Court hearing Monday, Detective Brendan Jasper testified that the fatal stabbing of Liggon originated from a dispute over “sweet-and-sour sauce” among three girls outside of the restaurant, perThe Washington Post. Jasper added in his testimony that Liggon and another girl began assaulting the 16-year-old girl — who, based on surveillance footage, didn’t appear to fight back at first.
As Liggon and the other girl were about to get into a vehicle, Jasper claimed, the 16-year-old girl approached Liggon with a 7.5-inch pocketknife, stabbing her in the abdomen and chest,The Washington Postreported.
Prosecutors said that the 16-year-old suspect was located a block away, NBC Washington reported.
An attorney representing the suspect said that their client acted in self-defense, adding that the suspect had no prior criminal history, per WTOP’s report,
A 16-year-old juvenile was fatally stabbed outside of a McDonald’s in Washington, D.C.WUSA9news/YouTube
D.C. Superior Court Judge Sherri Beatty-Arthur called for the juvenile suspect to be held until a new hearing on Friday,The Washington Postreported. The judge said: “At the end of the day, someone is dead over a dispute over sauce.”
Joy Liggon, the mother of Naima Liggon, called the incident “senseless,” telling WTOP: “I can’t understand how any type of a fight, whether it’s over sweet-and-sour sauce or any other topic, could result in a murder.”
She added: “Naima was beautiful, smart … she was funny, unique. She loves life.”
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Liggon was a student at Thomas Stone High School in Waldorf. In a statement sent to the school community, perFox 5, principal Shanif Pearl wrote in part: “My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, friends, loved ones and all who knew her…This is not the news a principal ever wants to share, let alone the day before we start a new school year. I ask that you please keep Naima’s family, friends, loved ones and our school community in your thoughts and prayers.”
PEOPLE reached out to the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia Tuesday for additional comment on the case.
source: people.com
