Mother Held in Stabbing Death of Son : Argument Over Money, Gang Membership Cited

A 37-year-old Panorama City woman was arrested on suspicion of murder in the stabbing of her son, a suspected gang member, Los Angeles police said Sunday.

Bluefus Davis, 18, was stabbed Saturday evening, allegedly by his mother, Sammie McGee, in an argument over money, Sgt. Craig Rungaitis said. The incident occurred shortly before 7 p.m. in an apartment in the 14600 block of Parthenia Street, where Davis apparently lived with his mother, Rungaitis said.

McGee was being held without bail in Van Nuys Jail, police said. Davis was found lying in the apartment’s living room and was pronounced dead a short time later at Panorama Community Hospital.

“Part of the altercation was over him being a gang member,” Rungaitis said.

Quarrel Over Loan

McGee and her son were arguing about money she lent him on Mother’s Day, Sgt. John Rygh told United Press International. Davis told his mother he belonged to a gang that “nobody messed with,” Rygh told the news service. Then, Rygh said, “he apparently began assaulting her; she pulled out a knife . . . and stabbed him in the chest,” UPI reported.

A murder complaint will be sought against McGee this week when detectives present the case to the district attorney’s office, Rungaitis said.

Melvin Johnson, 29, who said he shared the apartment with McGee, described the events leading to the stabbing as “a confused situation.” He would not elaborate.

Johnson and McGee lived in the apartment with Davis and McGee’s 6-year-old daughter. Johnson said he and the 6-year-old were not home at the time of the stabbing.

In the hours before the stabbing, “something just told me to take the daughter to play with her friends,” Johnson said.

Friday, Saturday Incidents

McGee had been arguing with her son for at least two days, according to a neighbor who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution from Davis’ friends. The neighbor said she overheard McGee tell police Saturday that Davis “came over here yesterday and jumped on her, and then he came back today and jumped on her.

“She said she was just trying to protect herself,” the neighbor said.

McGee was in the process of being evicted from the apartment for not paying her rent, according to another neighbor, who would not disclose her name. McGee had lived there for about a year, but Davis was seen there regularly for only about the last month, the neighbor said.

The neighbor described McGee as “always very pleasant . . . you could say meek.” But, referring to Davis, the neighbor said: “They were a bad-looking bunch that were his friends. They were all very sloppy, and they just looked to me like they were on drugs.”