8-year-old Leila Fowler's stabbing murder two weeks ago led to a massive manhunt. It turns out, authorities said that the leading suspect is her 12-year-old brother, the Associated Press reported.
"It's just shocking. I don't know what else to say," longtime restaurant owner in the town of Valley Springs Patti Campbell said.
On Friday, the boy's biological mother told the Sacramento television station KOVR that her son "could never hurt his sister." Later that day, police announced that the boy had been arrested and faced homicide charges.
Police did not release information about what led them to arrest the boy. Leila's brother told police he found his sister's body and encountered an intruder in the home while their parents were at a Little League game. Police said there was no sign of a burglary or robbery.
As part of the investigation, authorities seized several knives from the Fowler home, where Leila lived with her father, stepmother and siblings.
Sheriff's officials have not released the boy's name. The attack drew national attention since the boy's statement to investigators was that a man entered the family home in Vally Springs, which led to Leila's murder. He even said that he hid from the burglar, but sheriff's officials now say there was no sign of a burglary or robbery at the house.
The boy had called his parents and then 911. The autopsy revealed that Leila died of shock and bleeding, resulting from multiple stab wounds.
Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz said authorities spent more than 2,000 hours on the investigation before they arrested the boy on Saturday.
