A 14-year-old Indian boy was arrested in connection with the death of a 6-year-old girl, whose body was found hours after her disappearance last week, officials said.
Little Grace Ross disappeared on Friday at about 6:30 pm in New Carlisle, a town about 1,861 about 24 kilometers west of South Bend.
Her body was discovered two hours later in a wooded area not far from where she disappeared, reported the South Bend Tribune.
The St. Joseph County Homicide Unit said a 14-year-old suspect was arrested. His name and details of the charges he will face have not been released.
A candlelight vigil for Ross was scheduled for Sunday night in a park in New Carlisle. The girl’s relatives also started a fundraising campaign on Facebook to help with funeral expenses.
“My dear 6-year-old niece Grace Ross passed away yesterday. She is now an angel in heaven, ”wrote Nicole Ross on the fundraising page.
The neighbors in the small town were shocked by the tragedy.
“Right at your back door, you just don’t anticipate anything like that ever happening in your area,” said Kim Huston, who has lived in New Carlisle for 40 years, to the WSBT newspaper.
“It is a small town and we generally don’t have many crimes in the area,” she added.