Parents question charges against teen in fatal stabbing

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The family of a DeKalb County teenager accused of stabbing her 2-year-old half-sister is frustrated about the charges against her.

Prosecutors charged Tyasia Jackson, 13, as an adult, and her parents are asking why.

"You're holding her in the juvenile facility. You have to call us and ask us 'can she have a flu shot' and all this, yet you want to prosecute her as an adult?" asked the teen's step-father, Shelton Ray.

Police said the 2-year-old victim, Sasha Ray, was stabbed several times.

"She was a joyful little girl. Smart for her age, very active, very smart," said the girl's mother, Haneefa Ray.

"When she was born, I was the first person she saw. When she left, I was the last person she saw, because she died in my arms," Shelton Ray told Channel 2's Sophia Choi.

Investigators said the killing happened inside the family home on Waldrop Trail in Decatur. Police believe three other siblings inside the home may have witnessed the killing.

"They interviewed the children individually and we weren't allowed to be in the room," Shelton Ray told Choi. "I have a defense as well as a prosecution. I have a death and everything is revolved around both of my daughters."

The family describes the situation as tragic.

Haneefa Ray said she's focused on "my oldest daughter, and just getting through this burial of my youngest daughter."

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WSBTV