Mother Arrested in Killing of 9-Year-Old Daughter in Orange County

Published on November 26, 2023

WESTMINSTER, Calif.—A 32-year-old Westminster woman was arrested Nov. 24 for allegedly killing her 9-year-old daughter, police said. At 12:04 p.m. Friday, officers from the Westminster Police Department (WPD) were called to a home in the 14100 block of Goldenwest Street to conduct a welfare check after receiving a tip from a concerned family member. The officers forced their way into the residence and found the dead child alone with obvious signs of trauma, according to Sgt. Edward Esqueda. Khadiyjah Pendergraph was identified as a person of interest in the girl’s death, police said. Working with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, detectives from the Westminster Police Department located and arrested Pendergraph at a shopping center in Aliso Viejo....