Authorities say a police gunfight resulted in the arrest of the father of a 13-year-old girl who had publicly begged for her safe return after she was found brutally killed, raped, and mutilated inside an abandoned Toledo home, according to the New York Post.
Gruesome crime scene
Keimani Latigue’s mutilated body was discovered in a burnt-out house on Monday, six days after she was reported missing. Police described the scene as “one of the most horrific cases” they had ever encountered.
Police condemn the act
Lt. Brian Steel of Columbus Police told WCMH, “This is an absolute animal that came into our town.”
Police discovered that the young youngster, who was just a few days away from turning 14, had been sexually raped after having her hands cut off and her head almost severed. She died from several “incised wounds of the neck,” according to an autopsy, according to WTVG.
Father public Statement
Darnell Jones, 33, Keimani’s father, stated on local television that he last saw his daughter on the evening of March 16 before her body was found. She had called him, he added, and she was afraid of being at home by herself.
Jones said that when he got to the house at around 12:30 a.m., “it seemed like somebody was trying to break into the house.”
Grandmother discovery
Dorothy Latigue, Keimani’s grandmother, returned to find the house in a state of chaos, with the teenager’s pajamas and underwear all over the place. According to WTVG, the stove was left on and her glasses and keys were also abandoned.
Mother statement
Tiara Kasten, Keimani’s mother, said that on March 15, Jones had taken Keimani to her house.
My mother reportedly granted him permission, and to be honest, it was just a lovely gesture toward my child. Video games are something we play,” Kasten told WTVG.
Arrest and shootout
A warrant for Jones’ arrest was issued on Sunday after he gave Toledo police contradictory accounts. Jones was accused of murder and felony assault when Keimani’s body was found.
In Columbus, some two hours south of Toledo, he was found and captured during a SWAT police operation. According to the police, Jones had a gun.
Jones was shot during the arrest and then sent to a hospital for surgery. As evidence, a car thought to be related to the investigation was seized.
As we have stated numerous times, “you pull a gun at officers, this is the outcome you could expect,” Steel stated.
The horrible crime has left the Toledo community in shock. Toledo Public Schools verified that Keimani, a Spring Elementary student who had been on the honor roll, was eligible to earn a compassion award.
A TPS representative stated, “The loss of their friend and classmate, Kei’Maini Latigue, is deeply felt by the students and staff at Spring Elementary.”
