Grandmother sought in stabbing death of 18-month-old granddaughter

A grandmother is wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of her 18-month-old granddaughter and critically wounding her daughter and grandchild Monday in Colton, police said.

Colton police Cpl. Raymond Mendez said the 43-year-old grandmother, Nicole Darrington Clark, is armed and dangerous. He warned: “Don’t approach her.”

The stabbing attack occurred just after 9 a.m. inside the family’s apartment in the 1400 block of Santo Antonio Drive, he said.

The victim told authorities that her mother had stabbed her and the grandchildren, Mendez said.

Police first said the slain girl was 6 months old, but later said she 18 months old.

When officers arrived, they found the youngest grandchild dead, he said. Darrington Clark’s daughter and second granddaughter were taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Darrington Clark left before police arrived.

“We don’t know what triggered this event,” Mendez said. “We don’t have a motive.”

Darrington Clark had previously pleaded guilty to stabbing her son and throwing her daughter out of a van while driving on a freeway in 2005. Neither child was seriously injured.

But after the plea, a judge ruled that she was not guilty of the two attempted murders by reason of insanity, the Pasadena Star-News reported in 2007. He sent her to a state mental hospital for 34 years to life, with progress reports required every six months.

It wasn’t immediately clear when or why she was released from the mental hospital and whether the daughter in the 2005 attack is the same one critically injured Monday. Police did not immediately reply to a message seeking those details.

Authorities believe Darrington Clark is driving a black, four-door Hyundai Sonata with a license plate No. 7TQL009.

Anyone with details about Darrington Clark’s whereabouts is urged to call the Colton Police Department at (909) 370-5000 or 911.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

8:20 p.m.: This article has been updated with information about a previous incident by Darrington Clark and a correction by police on the slain child’s age.

This article was originally published at 3:20 p.m.