Houston mother of teen stabbed to death outside Galleria says daughter leaves behind 6-month old
17-year-old girl stabbed to death at Galleria gave birth 6 months ago
The mother of a 17-year-old stabbed to death outside the Galleria mall says her daughter was killed over a purse. Houston Police say the teen's killer is still on the loose. Authorities have identified the victim as 17-year-old Kayla Stevenson.
HOUSTON - The mother of a 17-year-old stabbed to death outside the Galleria mall says her daughter was killed over a purse and Houston Police say the teen's killer is still on the loose.
Authorities have identified the victim as 17-year-old Kayla Stevenson.
17-year-old Kayla Stevenson (right) with her mother, Kylie. (Photo courtesy of Kylie Stevenson)
"I have no words to describe the pain and emptiness that I feel right now," said Kylie Stevenson, the teen's mom.
SUGGESTED: Deadly stabbing near Houston Galleria: Kayla Stevenson identified as teen killed
Stevenson says Kayla was a new mom, who was getting her GED and trying to make ends meet.
"She just had a baby six months ago. She had moved in with my mom by the Galleria area to get a job over there and so, I would get the baby on the weekends," Stevenson said. "She had hopes of saving to get a car. She wanted to get a cosmetology license and start her own business."
Stevenson says Kayla started working at Lids and the NBA store inside the Galleria mall last month. Kayla walked 10 minutes to work every day.
Last Saturday, detectives said Kayla was walking down West Alabama near Sage Street around 11 a.m. when a suspect on a bicycle attacked the teen and tried to steal her purse.
BACKGROUND STORY: Deadly stabbing near Houston Galleria: 17-year-old girl killed; search for suspect
"It was a Juicy Couture bag, like hot pink with rhinestones in the initials, J.C. They got into a fight; from the fight, she ended up getting stabbed a couple of times and left on the sidewalk. Somebody saw and flagged down the officer," Stevenson said.
Kayla leaves behind her mother, two younger sisters who are 13 and 14 years old, and her 6-month-old daughter, Lani, who will now be in her father’s custody in Florida.
"I lost my daughter and now my granddaughter who’s going to be gone as well. That's even harder, you know. She won’t even get to grow up knowing her mother," Stevenson said.
Witnesses described the suspect as an Asian female, 25 to 35 years old, wearing black clothing and riding a blue "cruiser-style" bicycle.
Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact HPD Homicide Detectives at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.