'I can't get the image of her lying there out of my head': Locals say death of Croydon girl has 'struck a chord' in community
People who witnessed the shocking murder of 15-year-old Eliyanna Andam yesterday (September 27) in Croydon have been speaking of the harrowing scenes that they saw.
One mother had just dropped her children at school and witnessed the moments after Eliyanna was stabbed to death in Croydon. The mother, who only gave her name as Iman, told the PA news agency: “I was driving past when I noticed that somebody was lying down on the floor.
"I drove round, parked up and tried to get as close as I could. Two young girls were saying it was a young lady and she had been stabbed in the neck. “I haven’t really slept properly, because I still have that image of her lying there.”
READ MORE: Croydon girl, 15, named and pictured for first time as police question teenage boy
The mother, from Streatham in south London, said she saw police officers at the scene take aside a bus driver who “looked like he was almost holding” the 15-year-old victim.
A woman who works opposite where a 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death in Croydon south London, has said she was “struck down in her prime”.
Filomena Merola laid flowers by the police tape on Thursday morning. The 57-year-old, who grew up in Croydon, said: “That young girl could not even go to school without being cut down.
“We all have young teenagers in our lives, in our families. It has just struck a chord.”
A 17-year-old boy was arrested nearby in connection with the murder and is still in custody this morning. He was being quizzed on suspicion of her murder.
The aunt of the Croydon teenager murdered on her way to school has spoken of the family’s “heartbreak.”
Eliyanna’s aunt Mariam spoke from the family home - a mere half mile from the crime scene. She said: “She wanted to be a lawyer. She went to a private school and had a great future ahead of her,” reports The Mirror .
Mariam continued: “My sister paid for her education. She was a lovely girl, loved gymnastics. She loved doing her hair. We are all devastated by this. We are a big family and we are all here for my sister. We are planning on putting out a further statement later. We can’t comprehend the heartbreak of the last 24 hours. She went to school and didn’t come home.”
Met Police Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain told reporters at the scene: "This is every parent's worst nightmare, and I know the officers who responded this morning, along with our emergency service colleagues, are devastated at the victim's death.
"This is an emotion I share and I know people across Croydon will be feeling the same. The victim's family has been informed and our thoughts are with them at what must be an incredibly difficult time."
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