A San Diego County man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder in the stabbing death of his 7-year-old daughter.
Pedro Araujo, 27, is accused of stabbing his daughter Mariah Araujo 10 times in their Oceanside home on July 31 while her little sister was in the next room, prosecutors say.
Araujo had custody of the girls. Authorities say Araujo’s mother called police when she went to the home and noticed blood on his clothing.
The 7-year-old’s body was found in a bathroom with major trauma to the upper body, officials said.
The sister, 6, was subsequently placed in her grandmother’s care.
Police haven’t released a motive for the killing.
The defendant failed to show up for hearings scheduled Monday and last Friday, and officials would not say why the jail could not produce Araujo, according to KTLA sister station KSWB in San Diego.
Araujo was ordered held without bail and could face up to 26 years in prison if convicted.
KTLA’s Erika Martin contributed to this report.