A 14-year-old girl faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of her grandmother in Lauderdale Lakes, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.
Yevheniia Koval, 79, was found unresponsive by her son shortly before 12:30 a.m. Thursday when he came home from visiting a friend. He found her lying on the floor with bruises on her body, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Tuesday afternoon.
Koval’s son said he left his 14-year-old daughter with his mother at the home in the 4100 block of Northwest 41st Street in Lauderdale Lakes, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Koval was pronounced dead at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, and the Medical Examiner’s Office determined in an autopsy that the manner of her death was homicide.
The Sheriff’s Office did not provide additional details about the circumstances of the killing or further information about the investigation that led to the teen’s arrest. The girl’s name was not released.
“Through investigative methods, detectives identified the 14-year-old granddaughter as the suspect in the murder,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
The teen had been admitted to a hospital the same day for “medical clearance” and was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center on Friday, the Sheriff’s Office said.
This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.