Leila Fowler, the 8-year-old killed by an intruder this weekend in her California home, was not a victim of a random and horrible act, cops reveal — the man who broke into the residence and stabbed the child to death appears to have specifically targeted the little girl.
At a press conference “hastily” called last night in Calaveras County, police explained that the killing — which has terrified the community due in part to its seemingly random nature — looks like one intended with the sole purpose of murdering the 8-year-old girl.
Speaking Monday night, Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz began by saying law enforcement was working hard to track down the man who attacked and killed Fowler in her home:
“This is a sad time in Calaveras County … We are doing everything possible to apprehend the person responsible for the murder of this 8-year-old girl. We will not rest until we capture the responsible person.”
Local paper the Modesto Bee reported upon the press conference and updates on the 8-year-old’s killing, saying:
“Kuntz said it appears that the intruder intended to attack the girl, and that the incident was not a botched robbery or other crime gone wrong … Sheriff’s officials said they have checked on registered sex offenders and people on parole and probation for sex crimes as part of their investigation. But they stressed they were doing this as a matter of good investigative procedures and not because Leila’s slaying is a sex crime.”
Leila Fowler was transported after the attack to a local hospital, arriving at 12:55 PM. The 8-year-old was pronounced dead at 1:01 AM Saturday, and the cause of death for the little girl was deemed to be shock and blood loss from multiple stab wounds.
Fowler’s 12-year-old brother encountered the assailant before the man fled, and police say they are talking to the boy, but confirm he is not a suspect in the brutal slaying.