Girl, 14, denies killing mother
A 14-year-old girl pleaded not guilty Thursday to murdering her mother and attacking her father.
Heather D’Aoust is accused of using a claw hammer to kill Rebecca D’Aoust and then attack Jim D’Aoust in the family’s home in Scripps Ranch on Sunday.
Prosecutors decided to charge the teenager as an adult because of the severity of the crime.
After a brief court hearing, Jim D’Aoust told reporters that the couple’s adopted daughter had a history of mental problems.
“She is not evil,” he said.
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-- Tony Perry
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