The victim was identified as Naquia Catching. Authorities have identified Catching's stepfather as a person of interest and they want to question him. Detectives said the victim lived at the home with her mother, stepfather and younger sister.
Family members say the suspected killer actually called the victim's mother with a morbid message.
"He called my aunt and told her that he had a surprise for her. When she arrived home, she found her daughter with her neck sliced and on the floor," said Yolanda, a relative of the victim.
The woman's mother made the gruesome discovery at around 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the 4800 block of West 118th Street. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
"She just ran into my arms and she started crying, saying, 'Oh no!' I couldn't get anything out of her. And I asked her, 'Your little daughter or big daughter?' She said, 'Naquia. Naquia is gone,'" said neighbor Camilla Holly.
Authorities say there were signs of a struggle inside the apartment. Family members say they know who the suspect is, and investigators also have their suspicions. However, they're not naming names.
So far, there is no word on a motive. Neighbors Catching as a kind and hard-working woman who held two jobs. She was well known and well liked in her neighborhood.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's homicide unit is working the case. If you have any information, you can call investigators at (323) 890-5500.
