As the mother of a boy who will eventually go out in the world and interact with people on his own, I take my job of raising him to do just that very seriously. I constantly remind him that it never matters how mad we are at someone; we never physically have the right to hurt anyone. Once when I said that, he asked what if someone was hitting him first. I pushed down the inner-‘90s mom inside of me that wanted to say “All bets are off” and reaffirmed that it’s really never OK.
I do believe, however, that he has a right to defend himself. I explained that I don’t mean gratuitous violence; I mean enough to get away from and out of a situation. Even that theoretical gets murky, though, and kids can take things further than they should. Horrifyingly enough, self-defense can be used as a scapegoat to excuse monstrous behavior.
Texas authorities are trying to figure out which is which in the case of a 10-year-old boy who stabbed a 13-year-old girl on February 4, 2026, and claimed it was self-defense, according to Law & Crime. The fatal incident began with a 20- to 30-person brawl at an apartment complex in Houston.
“They’re claiming that the 13-year-old was among about 20 to 30 people that came over and started assaulting people in that apartment,” Houston Police Lt. Larry Crowson shared during a media conference. “And that he stabbed her in self-defense.”
The young girl, who was identified as Riley DeArmas, was taken to the hospital for at least one stab wound, and she died there. Her family maintains that the young girl was attacked and did not incite any violence to warrant that kind of a reaction. They told KHOU that “there was no self-defense” involved in the stabbing. As Ashley DeArmas, the young girl’s mother, said, “My daughter was attacked … She was not a violent person. She would never harm anyone intentionally. The narrative that’s going around right now about my daughter, that was not Riley, she did not deserve it. She did not deserve to die.”
Police detained the 10-year-old boy, who reportedly told officers on the scene he was responsible for stabbing the girl. Authorities questioned him and he was released pending further investigation. Homicide investigators contacted the district attorney’s office to “see how they want to proceed” with charges. Authorities reportedly believe the brawl stemmed from a fight that happened at a school earlier that day.
“It’s a 10-year-old,” Crowson said during the news conference. “That is the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the state of Texas, so charges could be filed. That’ll be up to the district attorney.”
A spokesperson for the Harris County DA’s office told KHOU that “once HPD completes their investigation, the case will be presented … and we will make a decision at that time.”
Ashley DeArmas, a single mom to Riley’s two younger siblings, set up a GoFundMe account to help alleviate funeral costs as she grapples with her new reality.
“Riley’s life mattered far beyond the headlines—she was a student, a friend, and a niece who deserved to grow up,” the donation page reads. “Her family demands justice, not just for her death, but for the truth of who she was. Riley’s memory should be honored with care, not cruel speculation.”
