A 16-year-old girl was stabbed and killed in Washington, D.C., on Sunday after an altercation began over a McDonald’s sweet-and-sour sauce, police said.
Naima Liggon, of Waldorf, Md., was stabbed outside a McDonald’s in a busy area of D.C. known for its nightlife, according to a press release from Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department.
Police were called to a nearby hospital shortly after 2 a.m. local time, where Liggon was being treated for stab wounds.
“Despite all lifesaving efforts, the victim succumbed to her injuries,” police said in a statement.
Following a brief investigation, another teen girl from Waldorf was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed. Police claim the suspect had a knife in their possession at the time of her arrest.
The Washington Post reported the unnamed minor has since pleaded not involved, the juvenile equivalent of not guilty.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Sherri Beatty-Arthur ordered the suspect to be held in custody until another hearing on Friday.
“At the end of the day, someone is dead over a dispute over sauce,” Beatty-Arthur said, according to the Washington Post.
Det. Brendan Jasper testified on Monday that Liggon was stabbed after an argument with two other girls about the McDonald’s sweet-and-sour sauce. He said police obtained security camera footage that showed Liggon and the girl hitting the 16-year-old who was arrested.
Though the unnamed minor did not initially fight back, Jasper claimed she eventually “lunged” at Liggon with a 7.5-inch pocketknife. He said Liggon was struck in the chest and abdomen.
The minor’s lawyer claimed she was acting in self-defence.
Liggon’s mother described her daughter as a “beautiful, smart, funny, and unique young lady who loved life,” in a statement to Fox 5.
“Naima loved music and the arts, basketball, and she was shaping up to be a master barber. She had just been hired to work at Krispy Kreme as a doughnut specialist and was preparing to get her drivers licence,” Joy Liggon said. “The impact of this senseless loss has affected our family, our friends, and our community. Naima will never see her prom or her graduation. We will not get to see her graduate from college or get married or have kids.”
Liggon is reportedly the 13th person under the age of 18 to be killed in Washington, D.C., this year. Two other teens were killed in D.C. this weekend.
On Friday, a youth curfew (which was already in place before Sunday’s stabbing) will be instated in parts of Washington to try and quell violent juvenile crime. Children under the age of 17 will not be permitted in public without an adult from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday to Thursday and midnight to 6 a.m. Friday to Saturday.
