INDIANAPOLIS — Police have arrested a juvenile male for murder in the stabbing death of a girl on the near east side of Indianapolis Monday morning.
The incident was reported around 9:15 a.m. Dec. 16 in the 400 block of North Randolph Street, near East Michigan Street. That's just a few blocks southeast of Arsenal Tech High School.
An IMPD spokesperson said responding officers found a female stabbing victim, believed to be a juvenile, outside a home. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Monday evening, IPS identified the victim as Anabel Trujillo, a student at Arsenal Tech.
"We also ask the community to think about that victim at this time, so do come forward if you have any information," said IMPD Ofc. Tommy Thompson.
In a statement, IPS said the school will have the IPS Crisis Team onsite to assist students, staff and parents who are grieving Trujillo's death.
The spokesperson said detectives were canvassing the area and looking for surveillance footage Monday morning.
"I'm happy to give whatever's going to be helpful," said neighbor Molly Kruger Sandford, who owns a home near the crime scene. "It's really sad to think what could make someone want to do that to another person, especially someone so young."
A few hours into the investigation, IMPD officers were at Arsenal Tech High School, but wouldn't say if it was related to the case. Soon after, IMPD announced they had a person of interest in custody, but wouldn't say if that person was connected to the police presence at Arsenal Tech or if the person of interest was a suspect.
Later Monday, police announced they had arrested a boy on Arsenal Tech property and said he was taken to the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center and facing a preliminary murder charge.
Leea Fetz said she believes she witnessed the arrest of the person arrested for the stabbing.
She and her dad were preparing to finish their Christmas shopping, but before they left, she heard a loud commotion.
"I heard a lot of sirens. They stopped they were very close. And I was like, 'Man, that sounds like those are out in front of the house,'" said Fetz.
She said she stepped outside on her porch and heard yelling.
"That's when they had the male subject, they had their guns drawn on him. They were telling him to get down get down. He got down. They took his backpack off of him and put him in cuffs," said Fetz.
She said seeing the officers with guns drawn made her feel anxious, knowing she had a child inside.
Fetz is a mother. She said it breaks her heart to know that the girl was found lying on the ground in the cold and rain, instead of safe in a classroom. This is what prompted her to have a tough conversation with her own children.
"I talked to both of them. 'I know you guys think I'm controlling. I know you guys get really mad at my helicopter parenting because I'm terrified.' Anything can happen at the blink of an eye at any age," said Fetz.
She said she also feels for the parents involved.
"For all we know either of those moms could have been trying absolutely everything they could, and they still made the decision that they made. It's awful. It's just getting younger and younger. It's just scary," said Fetz.
The motive for the stabbing is still unknown, though detectives believed it was an "isolated incident" and that there was no ongoing threat to the community.
An Indianapolis Public Schools spokesperson said three nearby schools - Arsenal Technical High School, Theodore Potter School 74, and H. L. Harshman Middle School - were placed on lockdown due to IMPD's investigation.
An IMPD spokesperson said the homicide is the department's 201st in 2024.
Fetz said she feels for everyone involved, especially around the holidays.
"My condolences to both families. Realistically, two lives were ruined today," said Fetz.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Det. Doug Morning at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or email Douglas.Morning@indy.gov. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.
Full statement from IPS Monday evening:
"The Indianapolis Public Schools community is devastated to learn that the female victim of the fatal stabbing on Monday, Dec. 16, in the 400 block of North Randolph Street has been identified as Anabel Trujillo, an Arsenal Tech student. We are grateful to the IPS Police and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) who quickly identified and apprehended the suspect.
Arsenal Tech’s principal shared the heartbreaking news with students, staff and families. The school will have the IPS Crisis Team onsite to assist students, staff and parents who are grieving this loss and senseless act of violence. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of those impacted by this tragic death. We will keep the safety and well-being of our students and staff our top priority.
Because this is still an active investigation by IMPD, there are no further details that we can share at this time. We know this news is deeply upsetting, and we are committed to maintaining open lines of communication with our school community."