WESTMINSTER, CA – A 32-year-old mother from Westminster has been apprehended and is in police custody after her 9-year-old daughter was found dead in their home on Friday, according to the Westminster Police Department (WPD). Officers were called out to the family’s residence on the 14100 block of Goldenwest Street for a welfare check, following a call from a concerned family member just after noon.
Upon arriving and gaining access to the house, the officers discovered the deceased child in their home, possessing visible signs of physical abuse, reported Sgt. Edward Esqueda from WPD.
The mother, Khadiyjah Pendergraph, was subsequently identified as a person of interest in relation to her daughter’s death. Jointly, WPD detectives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department managed to locate her at a shopping center in Aliso Viejo. After being detained, Pendergraph was taken to the Orange County Jail, where she is currently being held under suspicion of murder.
Chief Darin Lenyi of the WPD noted that police officers are unfortunately exposed to tragic incidents on a regular basis. He stated, “this murder is particularly disturbing due to the senseless loss of a child, allegedly at the hands of her own mother.” Chief Lenyi expressed the department’s deepest condolences to the family for their unimaginable loss.
Members of the public who have any further information related to this alleged murder are encouraged to contact Detective Marcela Lopez. Anonymous tips from the public can also be submitted to Orange County Crime Stoppers.