SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Residents of a rural Northern California county are being told to keep their doors locked and report anyone considered suspicious as authorities continue the search for the killer of an 8-year-old girl.
Calaveras County deputies and law enforcement officials from nearby agencies are looking for a suspect after Leila Fowler was found stabbed in her Valley Springs home around noon Saturday.
Officials say the girl was found by her brother — reported by local media to be 12-years-old — after he encountered a male intruder in the home. When the intruder ran away, the boy found his sister stabbed. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Authorities are conducting a door-to-door sweep of homes scattered across hilly terrain, checking storage sheds and horse stables, and even searching attics.
Valley Springs is about 60 miles southeast of Sacramento.
Source: Associated Press
