Teen charged over man’s death after claiming he FELL onto a knife held by a small child

A FLORIDA teen has been charged with manslaughter after claiming a fatal stabbing victim “fell on a knife”, say detectives.

Lillian Patterson, 19, was arrested on Saturday after she said Xavier Collins, also 19, had stumbled onto a blade held by one of several small kids in her Micanopy home.

Detective Nicholas Sutliff, of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit, said the death occurred on Friday, May 22, after 9pm.

Marion County Fire Rescue (MCFR) was called to a home in the Micanopy area to a patient experiencing cardiac arrest. 

“They found an adult male – later identified as Xavier Collins – dead in the home, along with Patterson and several small children,” Sutliff added.

Initially, Patterson allegedly told MCFR that Collins had stumbled out of the bedroom and collapsed on the floor, becoming unresponsive.

She made no mention of any injuries to him.

But, Detective Brad Bartlett and an investigator from the Fifth Medical Examiner’s Office found a “traumatic injury to the victim’s upper left chest”.

‘CHANGED STORY’

“Patterson then claimed Collins had fallen onto a knife held by one the children in the home.

“During a third explanation of events, Patterson claimed both she and a small child were holding knives, and Collins fell onto one of the knives,” Sutliff said.

While interviewed at the Sheriff’s Office, she allegedly told both detectives that “earlier in the night she was approached by a two-year-old child that was holding a steak knife”, which she removed.

The teen “claims she held the knife in her right hand, while scrolling on her phone with her left”.

However, “Patterson admitted to being right-handed”, the cops noted.

Then, the teen told the detectives that “at some point in the evening, while she was still holding the knife, Collins entered the room and began ‘wrestling’ with her”.

She allegedly told them she “pushed Collins off her with her left hand, causing the victim to fall onto the knife she was holding in her right hand.

“Patterson changed her statement multiple times regarding where she was holding the knife.

“[She] also acknowledged she had multiple opportunities to relinquish the knife before, and during, the time the victim, Collins, was ‘wrestling’ with her,” the unit said.

Patterson was arrested and charged with one count of negligent homicide.

The teen is currently in custody at Marion County Jail, awaiting her first court appearance.

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