Jul 06

Police: 13-Year-Old Stabbed To Death By 12-Year-Old

A 12-year-old north St. Louis boy is in police custody, accused of fatally stabbing a 13-year-old girl Thursday night.

Alexus Purtty was a science and math honors student at Carr Lane Middle School, her mother said.

Alecia Kimbel said the boy lives just a few houses away in the 3800 block of St. Louis Avenue.Kimbel said she knew the boy from seeing him play with other children in the neighborhood.

She said she didn’t know his parents but he had recently attended a birthday party she threw for her son.

However, last Wednesday, Kimbel said her home was broken into and that she suspects the 12-year-old was involved.

Kimbel said she contacted police and was told to call back if she saw the 12-year-old in the area.

Kimbel said she saw the suspect hanging out in her neighborhood Thursday night and she called police.

She said police never responded after several calls, until after her daughter was stabbed.

St. Louis police dispute the claim.

A police department spokesperson said officers responded at least two times after calls from Kimbel, but when they arrived in the neighborhood the 12-year-old was nowhere to be found.

Kimbel said while she was on her front porch with her daughter waiting for police, an altercation ensued between Alexus and the 12-year-old, who was with a group of other young people.

Kimbel said Alexus confronted the group because they were swearing at Kimbel and other family members.

She said she broke up what was turning into a fight.

Kimbel said the 12-year-old returned around 11:30 p.m. with a steak knife, stabbed Alexus and ran away.

He was captured and taken into police custody a short time later.

Frustrated with police, Kimbel said “(the 12-year-old poked) my daughter in her left breast and when hid did that he hit a main artery in her body and she fell.

“Just before she fell she said, ‘Mama, I’m going to lay on the steps.’

“(Alexus said) ‘when (police) get here they’re going to see a body out here, maybe they will come then.’”

Police said Kimbel pursued the 12-year-old back to his house following the incident and attempted to contact the boy’s father.

The 12-year-old’s father said he told Kimbel to call the police.

“You know I feel sorry for the girl and the family,” said the father.

KSDK-TV is not identifying the man to protect the identity of his son, who has not been formally charged.

The 12-year-old’s father described his son as “a pretty nice kid.” He said he can’t believe he’d intentionally try to hurt anyone, unless he was acting in self-defense.

As far as Thursday night, the father said he had sent his son to the store to pick him up some Gatorade and didn’t see him again until he heard an altercation was taking place on the street.

In the meantime, Kimbel said she piled into a car with a friend with her daughter following the stabbing and tried to take her daughter to an area hospital.

She said she didn’t make it too far before police stopped the car and called an ambulance.

When Alexus arrived at St. Louis Children’s Hospital around 12 a.m. Friday, she was pronounced dead.