A 14-year-old girl is facing a charge of second-degree murder in the death of her grandmother in Lauderdale Lakes, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Yevheniia Koval, 79, was found unresponsive by her son shortly before 12:30 a.m. on Thursday when he returned home from visiting a friend. He discovered her lying on the floor with bruises on her body, the Sheriff’s Office reported in a news release Tuesday afternoon.
Koval’s son stated he had left his 14-year-old daughter with his mother at their home in the 4100 block of Northwest 41st Street in Lauderdale Lakes. Koval was pronounced dead at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, and an autopsy by the Medical Examiner’s Office determined her death to be a homicide.
The Sheriff’s Office has not provided additional details regarding the circumstances of the killing or information about the investigation leading to the teen’s arrest. The girl was later identified as Sofia Koval.
“Through investigative methods, detectives identified the 14-year-old granddaughter as the suspect in the murder,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
The teen had been admitted to a hospital the same day for “medical clearance” and was then taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center on Friday, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
As of Tuesday afternoon, it was unclear whether the girl will be charged as an adult or a juvenile.
“When the case is presented to our office, prosecutors will review all of the facts, evidence, and circumstances before making any decision,” spokesperson Aaron Savitski said in an email.
Lauderdale Lakes residents shocked
Neighbors expressed shock and disbelief at the news.
“She’s a good girl. It’s just something I can’t see Sofia doing,” said a neighbor.
“It’s terrifying to be honest, like you would never suspect something like that, especially from a family member,” said another neighbor.
“We heard the police. Everybody started coming out one by one,” said neighbor Brandon Stuart. “Regular looks like, regular grandma with her granddaughter. They used to go to the pool over there sometimes. Unfortunate. Never saw that coming at all.”
A family friend said that the young girl was struggling.
“She wanted her mom who is in the United Kingdom. She can’t get over here so she’s, she was distorted. I can’t see her doing anything drastic,” said the woman.
