Utah Girl, 12, Dead: 15-Year-Old Arrested After ‘Luring’ Kailey Vijil Out Of Her Home After Midnight

A Utah girl, 12, was found dead after leaving her home around midnight. According to the New York Daily News, Kailey Vijil was lured out of her home by a 15-year-old boy, who has since been charged with criminal homicide. Police say that the boy and girl didn’t know each other before the incident.

Residents in the area say that the boy has been known to cause trouble.

“I believe a good-natured child was fooled,” West Valley City Police Chief Lee Russo said. Reports indicate that the girl left her home with permission, and that family members became concerned about her well-being when she didn’t return after an hour.

The Utah girl, 12, was found dead in an overgrown horse pasture just a couple of hours after she went out. While police did not say how the girl died, they did say that there was “evidence of trauma.” It does not appear, however, that the girl was stabbed or shot.

The teenager’s family has released a statement, and his mother has denied her son’s involvement in Kailey’s murder. She did admit that her son recently returned home after attending a drug-treatment program.

“Our hearts and prayers are with the Vijil family and may God comfort all families hurt in this terrible tragedy.”

According to Yahoo! News, police say that Kailey and the boy only spoke at her door the night that he convinced her to come outside. There was no evidence that suggested that the two had been talking on the phone or via text prior to that meeting.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the 15-year-old boy is being held at the Salt Lake County Juvenile Detention Center. If he is tried as an adult, he will face life in prison. If not, he can only be detained until he is 21-years-old.

And while people have been getting angry at Kailey’s mother for allowing her to go outside after midnight, West Valley City Police Chief Lee Russo cautions people against making comments about Kailey’s parents and their decision to let her go out in the middle of the night.

“This isn’t about parenting. What we’re investigating is the death of a 12-year-old girl, and we need to stay focused on that,” Russo said.

There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered, but police are working around the clock to put this puzzle together.

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