Atlanta

New mom stabbed to death weeks after giving birth; 14-year-old girl charged with murder

ATLANTA — Police say a 14-year-old girl stabbed a 19-year-old mother to death Sunday night and injured a man.

Police responded to reports of a stabbing around 7 p.m. on Venus Place. Police found a male victim with a stab wound to his arm and a female victim with a stab wound to her neck.

Ta'Lela Fontia Stevenson died last night at Grady Hospital. Stevenson just gave birth to a baby girl less than a month ago.

Gary Banks, 18, was treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said the stabbing started with a fight between several girls outside the residence in the driveway. The 14-year-old has been charged with felony murder.

Channel 2's Kristen Holloway talked to Stevenson's mother, who saw her daughter being stabbed.

Police said there was an ongoing dispute between the families in two homes. On Sunday, Simmons, a mother of five, told Holloway that three girls were bullying her 14-year-old daughter.

"She came home and told her sisters, and they just came out to say, 'Leave her alone,'" Simmons said.

Police said shortly after, there was a fight and Stevenson was stabbed.

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"They were all right here in front of my house," Simmons said. "I'm, like, 'Y'all need to move,' but they just lashed out and my daughter was standing right here and the girl ran around and attacked my daughter."

Simmons said Stevenson just had baby Riley less than a month ago and graduated high school a year ago.

"She was a bright young lady looking to get ready to make a future for herself," Simmons said. "It's wrong and it's cruel and it wasn't worth it. It wasn't."

Simmons had an emotional message for her daughter's killer.

"You took Ta'Lela Fontia Stevenson's life," Alfonza Simmons said. "You took my child from me for no reason. We don't even know your name."

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral expenses.