A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a nine-year-old girl in Weston-super-Mare, Avon and Somerset Police said.
Aria Thorpe, who had celebrated her ninth birthday with friends just two weeks ago with a Kpop Demon Hunters party, was found dead at a property in Lime Close just after 6pm on Monday.
A teenage boy was later arrested outside Worle rail station, less than half a mile from the scene.
The 15-year-old has now been charged and will appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court today.
A post-mortem examination has been carried out and the preliminary finding is that Aria was killed by a single stab wound.
Superintendent Jen Appleford said: ‘Our investigation has continued at pace since Monday evening and we can confirm a 15-year-old boy, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, has overnight been charged with murder. He is due to appear in court later today.
‘This remains an incredibly difficult time for Aria’s family, who we continue to support and update around our investigation.
‘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.
‘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.
‘We are grateful to local residents for the patience shown while we have been carrying out enquiries in the area.
‘This work will need to continue over the next few days, but if anyone has any issues then please do not hesitate to speak to officers on the cordon who will be happy to help.’
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
