A New Jersey woman has been charged with stabbing her identical twin sister to death.
Police responded to calls about an unconscious woman on the ground at the 1200 block of East State Street at the Centennial Village Apartments in Camden at around 5:30 a.m on June 22.
Officers said the woman appeared to have suffered multiple stab wounds, according to a June 24 statement from the Camden County Prosecutor.
The woman was rushed to Cooper University Hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly after 6 a.m.
Amanda Ramirez was arrested and charged with first degree Aggravated Mansaluaghter on the same day her sister was stabbed, according to the prosecutors office. She is being held in the Camden County Correctional Facility where she is awaiting a pretrial detention hearing.
Officials have not released a motive for the killing. The office said the the investigation is ongoing.
“Anna worked for many years in the medical field as a certified nursing assistant. She loved to spend time with her family and was a devoted mother,“ the obituary states. ”Anna had a special bond with her grandparents and enjoyed family dinners and weekly time hanging out with her sisters.”
A funeral service will be held on June 28 for the young woman.
US Sibling Abuse Statistics
A study conducted by the University of Michigan found that violence between siblings is more common than child abuse by parents or spousal abuse.The study indicates that every three in 100 are dangerously violent toward a brother or sister. The report also cites another study released in 2005 showing that 35 out of 100 cases of children suffering from abuse are at the hands of a sibling.
Possible signs of sibling abuse
- One child always avoids their sibling
- A child has changes in behavior, sleep patterns, eating habits, or has nightmares
- A child acts out abuse in play
- A child acts out sexually in inappropriate ways
- The children’s roles are rigid: one child is always the aggressor, the other, the victim
- The roughness or violence between siblings is increasing over time
Risk factors for sibling abuse
- Parents are not around much at home
- Parents are not very involved in their children’s lives, or are emotionally distant
- Parents have not taught kids how to handle conflicts in a healthy way from early on
- Parents do not stop children when they are violent (they may assume it was an accident, part of a two-way fight, or normal horseplay)
- Parents increase competition among children by playing favorites and comparing children.
