A babysitter has been arrested for allegedly stabbing to death the 3-year-old girl she was minding in Las Vegas, police said.
Marketta Phillips, 41, has been charged with open murder with a deadly weapon in connection to the killing, which took place in an apartment at around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday while the victim’s father was at work, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) said in a statement.
Police said Phillips stabbed the girl and then fled the scene when the father arrived home. The apartment, located at the 4200 block of Channel 10 Drive, is situated around five miles south of Downtown Las Vegas.
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When Las Vegas police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered the victim with multiple stab wounds inside the apartment and provided life-saving measures until medical personnel arrived.
The girl was then transported to a local hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Phillips was located near the scene and taken into custody.
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Phillips was booked into the Clark County Detention Center. A motive for the killing is unclear, and it is not known what relationship, if any, Phillips had to the child or her father.
She made her first court appearance at the Regional Justice Center on Thursday, News3LV reported. A judge ordered her to remain held without bail.
This isn’t Phillips’ only run-in with police.
About a week ago, police responded to the same unit where the child was killed, and they put Phillips on a “Legal 2000,” which is essentially a 72-hour mental health crisis hold, according to Fox 5 Vegas, citing sources. It’s used when a person is determined to be a danger to themselves or others.
A woman who said she is the aunt of the victim said the family is doing “horribly,” per the outlet.
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