4/27/14 Update on suspect:
A teenaged boy charged with stabbing a fellow high school student to death on the day of their junior prom is being held in a hospital under psychiatric evaluation where he will likely remain for two weeks, one of his attorneys said Saturday.
The name of the 16-year-old suspect was not officially released.
The boy is accused of stabbing to death Maren Sanchez, 16, in the hallway of Jonathan Law High School in Milford. The attack occurred Friday morning, hours before the school's junior prom, and authorities were investigating whether Sanchez was stabbed after turning down his invitation to the dance.
The suspect, who is charged as a juvenile offender, will not appear at an arraignment scheduled for Monday in New Haven, attorney Richard Meehan said. The hospital commitment can last for up to 15 days, according to Meehan. He said doctors typically order such involuntary commitments in cases where someone in custody is considered a danger to himself.
Meehan said the suspect's family is also reeling from the attack.
"His family is devastated not only for him, but the youngster who was killed. It's a terrible situation all the way around," Meehan said.
His client is expected to be charged as an adult, but he would need to appear in court for that to happen, Meehan said. State's Attorney Kevin Lawlor said several factors go into that decision, including the seriousness of the charges.
Police said they were looking into reports from students that the suspect had asked Sanchez to prom and were examining whether a rejection prompted the attack, but they have not offered a motive for the killing.
"It's all being investigated," Officer Jeffrey Nielsen, a spokesman for Milford police, said Saturday. "We don't work off speculation. We work on facts."
Maren Sanchez, in a photo on her Facebook page.
Credit Facebook
1:00 pm:
A 16 year old girl, Maren Sanchez, was killed Friday at a Jonathan Law High school in Milford, Connecticut, by a 16-year-old male classmate. The boy is in police custody. A statement from Sanchez’s family said more needs to be done to ensure young people are protected from attacks at school. The family described Maren as a "bright light full of hopes and dreams."
Maren Sanchez posted this video of her own performance of the song "Home" by Phillip Phillips to her Facebook page in November, 2012.
11:30 am: Milford Police say a 16-year old female student, Maren Sanchez, has been killed in a stabbing Friday morning. The suspect, a 16-year-old male, is in police custody. His name has not been released. Students have been sent home after a lockdown, and school officials say there are grief counselors available to students. The superintendent of Milford Schools describes the victim as a well-respected, active student.
11:00 am: Police in Milford, Connecticut are investigating a stabbing that took place in one of the city's high schools Friday morning. Police say a student was stabbed in an isolated altercation, but they've declined to disclose details of the victim's injuries or whether there have been any arrests. Police are expected to provide more details at a press conference at 11:0o am .
A spokesman for Bridgeport Hospital says a girl from the Jonathan Law High School was brought to the hospital this morning. Her condition has not been released.
Police say the school is now safe and students have been sent home for the day.