A Maryland teen is being held in a D.C. juvenile detention center and facing multiple charges in connection to the stabbing death of another teen outside of a local McDonald’s restaurant.
Police say the dispute was allegedly over sweet-and-sour sauce. The mother of the victim, Naima Liggon, 16, called the death “senseless.”
The suspect, who remains unnamed due to being 16 years old, faces allegations of second-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to commit murder while armed, and other charges related to the fatal stabbing incident that occurred in Northwest D.C. on Sunday, Aug. 27.
According to police, Naima sustained stab wounds in her abdomen and chest.
Law enforcement later identified the suspect a few blocks away from the scene of the crime, at 14th and U streets Northwest.
“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,” Naima’s mother, Joy Liggon, continued, according to WTOP.
Police outline the moments leading up to the stabbing. An initial investigation reveals the two teenagers met up with an additional three other girls at the Birchwood Recreation Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, with the intent of later going to a party on Saturday, Aug. 26.
After leaving the party, the group went to a McDonald’s for a late-night snack.
While inside the car, an argument erupted between Naima and the suspect over sweet-and-sour sauce. The disagreement, which began in the back seat of the vehicle, escalated and spilled over onto the street.
A lawyer for the suspect said the girl acted in self-defense. According to the suspect, who has no prior criminal history, she was getting beaten up by Naima and another girl in the car before stabbing the girl.
A detective on the case pointed to video surveillance camera evidence and accounts from witnesses to provide details of the stabbing. Those accounts stated that Naima was stabbed during the altercation on the sidewalk, and later, when she was attempting to reenter the car, the other girl stabbed her a second time with the 7 1/2-inch knife.
Leaving the suspect on the side of the street, the driver and two others in the car immediately took Naima to Howard University Hospital— where she later succumbed to her injuries.
The other girls reportedly identified the suspect.
Detective Brendan Jasper said at a hearing in D.C. Superior Court on Monday that Naima and another girl began hitting a 16-year-old, who initially did not fight back, according to the footage, The Washington Post reported.
Naima’s mother said while she wants the young person to be disciplined, she does not want to destroy her life.
“I do want there to be some justice for my child, but I also don’t want to … see multiple families ruined by this,” Liggon said.
The suspect is currently being held at the D.C. Youth Services Center and gearing up for her detention status hearing on Sept. 1.
