Avon and Somerset Police say Aria Thorpe died of a single stab wound
A teenage boy has been charged with murdering a nine-year-old girl at her home in Weston-super-Mare.
Avon and Somerset Police said Alia Thorpe, who celebrated her birthday two weeks ago, died from a single stab wound on Monday.
The 15-year-old boy, whose identity cannot be disclosed, appeared as a child defendant at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
During a brief hearing, he only confirmed his name, address and date of birth. He was remanded to youth detention ahead of a hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.
Paramedics were called to the property and arrived at the property around 6:10 p.m. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene in Lyme Close, in the Mead Valley area of ​​Somerset town.
A teenage boy was arrested on suspicion of murder outside Waller train station at 6.19pm. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed the boy had been charged with Aria’s murder.
An autopsy was conducted and it was found that Alia died from a single stab wound.
Police say Alia Thorpe’s death has left the community with a ‘deep sense of loss’ – SWNS
Neighbors said Alia celebrated her ninth birthday with a K-pop themed party. A family friend said she enjoyed dressing up, having her hair styled and putting on makeup.
Neighbor Tamara Taylor said: “Aria is a sweet little girl who is very fashionable for her age. She loves to dress up and do things that little girls do. She and my daughter are best friends. They play together all the time and go to each other’s houses every night.”
“I was afraid to tell her when she got home from school later. How do you tell an eight-year-old girl that her best friend was murdered?”
The schoolgirls, who opened a small car cleaning shop to help pay for toiletries and clothes, were looking forward to Christmas and planning their gift lists together in the days before the stabbing.
Aria, a pupil at Beckett Elementary School, lives in a three-bedroom house with her mother, Victoria Hull, who works in a local salon. “Tor has received some devastating news and is mourning the loss of her daughter. The salon will be closed until further notice. We are all heartbroken and ask that you please be respectful at this time,” the salon wrote in a message posted on Facebook.
Sheriff Jen Appleford said: “Our inquiries have been ongoing since Monday night and we can confirm that a 15-year-old boy, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, has been charged with murder overnight. He will appear in court later today.”
“This remains an extremely difficult time for Aria’s family and we will continue to support them and update our investigation. We cannot adequately describe how traumatic the past 36 hours have been for them and we would like to reiterate their request for privacy in the strongest possible terms.
“The tragic death of such a young girl has caused huge shock and upset and a deep sense of loss has been felt throughout the community.”
