Calaveras County in Northern California has lived a few intense days. Starting with the murder of 8-year-old Leila Fowler by the hands of a home intruder, who escaped when Leila's 12-year-old brother found him, to later realize the man had stabbed his little sister to death.
Police say Leila and her brother were home alone on Saturday when he saw an intruder leaving the house. He then found his sister stabbed and severely wounded. She died minutes after arriving at the hospital, authorities said. The brother is continuing to be interviewed but is not considered a suspect.
The apparently random attack has the community on edge. Parents spontaneously showed up Monday at Jenny Lind Elementary, where Leila went to school, to give hugs or tie purple and pink ribbons -- Leila's favorite colors -- to trees on campus.
The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office has released little information about the killing other than a vague description of a white or Hispanic male with a muscular build, about 6 feet tall, with long grey hair, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and blue pants, who fled when the boy confronted him. Calaveras County Deputy Coroner Steve Moore said the girl died from multiple stab wounds.
"We did collect fingerprints during that search, and we did collect what we believe to be DNA," Calaveras County Sheriff's Capt. Jim Macedo said in a statement. "Those prints and DNA will hopefully be processed within the next week."
A new name has surfaced since the attack. Jason Wryrynen, 44, was recently arrested and charged with kidnapping and burglary charges after breaking into an apartment in Placerville, Calif., and attempting to take a 15-month-old baby from his mother, who "struggled with and overpowered" the man before police arrived to the scene.
Placerville police Capt. Mike Scott says there is "no confirmed nexus to the Calaveras County case" but Placerville officers are in communication with Calaveras County law enforcement officials.
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