A Chicago mom is facing a first degree murder charge for taking the life of her own daughter in a brutal attack. The victim, five-year-old Serenity Arrington, was stabbed multiple times by her mother. The little girl eventually died from her injuries.
Chicago police officers identified the suspect as Simone Austin, a 27-year-old resident of East Garfield Park. In the early morning of September 26, police were summoned to the family’s apartment at the 3200 block of West Fulton Boulevard. They were tipped off by multiple calls from neighbors who claimed that a girl was stabbed.
When the police arrived around 9 a.m., they were disturbed at what they found. The 5-year-old girl was laying in her own pool of blood. Firefighters who first arrived at the home were making efforts to tend to the victim.
Photo: Chicago Police
The girl was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. However, Serenity succumbed to her severe injuries and was later pronounced dead at the Stroger hospital, according to Meaww.
A later autopsy report from the Cook County medical examiner’s office revealed that the girl suffered from “multiple incised wounds” to the neck likely caused by a knife. Her death was tagged as homicide.
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Another sibling witnessed the crime
When the police arrived at the home, they were met by a woman standing outside the residence. Chicago police officer Jose Jara claimed that the woman seemed calm and appeared to be waiting for the police.
The victim’s 8-year-old sister told investigators that she saw her mom pull a knife under the pillow and stab Serenity. During the attack, the little girl repeatedly said she was sorry and pleaded her mom to stop.
Even when she was arrested, Austin refused to talk to the cops. Neighbor’s claimed that the mother acted ‘out of character.’ They described her as a ‘good mother’ who often watch as her kids played outside.
Investigators are now working to find out more details on the case and to uncover if the suspect had any existing mental illness. Meanwhile, the Chicago mom was charged with first degree murder for the brutal slaying of her daughter. She is set to appear in court in October 19.
Victim remembered by neighbors
Photo: Fox 32
Even though the family just moved into the neighborhood this summer, the cheerful little girl had already made an impression with their neighbors.
In an interview with Fox 32, Tom Latimer, the family’s next-door neighbor claimed that Serenity and her sister would always ride their bikes outside.
“We had met them about a month ago because they had just moved in and they were living right across the alley from me as I said. And they had a kitten or a cat and they liked animals. They would visit with my dog and they brought their cat to meet my wife who’s a cat person.”
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