ALISO VIEJO, California – A California mother has been arrested for the alleged murder of her nine-year-old daughter, who was discovered dead in their Orange County home. Khadiyjah Aliyyah Ali Pendergraph, 32, was apprehended at a shopping center in Aliso Viejo and is currently being held at the Orange County Jail.
The heartbreaking incident unfolded on Friday when Westminster Police responded to a welfare check request at the family’s residence on Goldenwest St. According to authorities, officers forced their way into the home and uncovered the lifeless body of the young girl, showing signs of trauma. Pendergraph was not present at the scene but was later located and apprehended at a shopping center in Aliso Viejo.
Westminster Chief of Police Darin Lenyi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, stating, “While police officers are exposed to tragedies on a daily basis, this murder is particularly disturbing, due to the senseless loss of a child allegedly at the hands of her own mother.”
The investigation into this distressing event is ongoing, and further details about the motive or circumstances surrounding the incident have not been provided at this time.
The shocking loss of a young life under such tragic circumstances is a sobering reminder of the responsibility we all have to protect and care for the well-being of children. Authorities continue their investigation to uncover the truth behind this devastating event, as the community grieves the loss of a young girl whose life was cut short in such a tragic manner.