17-year-old's bank card used after she was stabbed to death in the Galleria area, mom says
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston Police Department is looking for a woman whom officers say robbed and stabbed a 17-year-old girl to death in the Galleria area.
On Tuesday, the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office said 17-year-old Kayla Nicole Stevenson was stabbed at least two times.
Police said the attack happened near Saks Fifth Avenue on West Alabama Street at Sage Road on Saturday morning.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Woman wanted after 17-year-old stabbed to death near Galleria Mall, police say
According to HPD, officers received a call about 30 minutes before Kayla was found dead. A witness reported that a woman, who they did not know, slashed the girl in the face with a knife and took off.
Investigators said the victim was walking on the sidewalk, which is near her home and job, when she was stabbed to death.
Kylie Stevenson, Kayla's mother, told Eyewitness News her daughter was on her way to work when she was attacked, carrying a purse containing her wallet, phone, and keys.
"I tried to get her bank card locked, and they already tried to make transactions on her card," Stevenson said about the alleged attacker. "But they were blocked, so it wasn't enough that they killed her and left her there. They still tried to use her card."
Stevenson said her daughter often walked to her job at the Galleria because it was close to where she lived with her grandmother.
Early in the investigation, police reported getting a tip from someone in the area about two women fighting over a handbag.
"That was like, I kept telling myself, 'My daughter lost her life over a bag.' It can't be that serious. It's just a bag," Stevenson said.
HPD added that it is hard to determine whether the suspect knew the teenage victim without knowing the suspect's identity. At this point, police are treating the incident as a random robbery.
Still, Kayla's mother said her head was spinning.
"It's really hard, and it's before Christmas, too," she said. "I have no words to describe the pain and emptiness I feel right now."
Her mother adds that Kayla started working two new jobs at the Galleria and was saving to buy a car. She leaves behind a 6-month-old daughter.
"You stole a great person from us, and (you) do know she was a mother. She was 17 years old. She was a mother. She didn't deserve this; nobody does. And I really want this person to pay for what they did," Stevenson said.
Houston police are also trying to see whether Kayla's murder is tied to another reported attack about five minutes away on Westheimer Road.
Police said they didn't recover a weapon, but the suspect was seen taking off on a blue bicycle, which was found near the scene at the time of the incident.
Investigators said they're trying to backtrack where the bike came from and are looking for surveillance footage. Police described the suspect as a woman in her mid-to-late 20s. She wore a brown jacket and brown leggings during the stabbing.
HPD said extra patrols will monitor the Galleria area during the holidays.
If you know anything about this case, authorities urge you to contact the Houston Police Department's Homicide Division at 713-308-3600.
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