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Jah’sir Vasquez was charged with third-degree murder in the deadly shooting of 12-year-old Jasiyah Vasquez, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Upper Providence Township Police Chief Mark A. Toomey said.
The children's mom, Daisy Vasquez, asked Jah’sir to go outside to her car to get a 9mm handgun, which was legally registered to her, Steele and Toomey said.
The home surveillance video recovered by detectives shows Jah’sir entering the house with the handgun in his right hand and then pointing it at Jasiyah.
Seconds later, while Jah’sir had the gun pointed in his sister’s direction, it discharged, and Jasiyah collapsed, police said.
Upper Providence police responding to reports of a shooting found the girl lifeless and not breathing in her family living room on Larchwood Court with a single gunshot wound in her chest around 7:15 a.m., Steele and Toomey said.
Jasiyah was pronounced dead and an autopsy performed by a physician and forensic pathologist determined the cause of death was the gunshot wound, and the manner was homicide, authorities said.
“We followed the evidence in this case, which clearly showed that the 13-year-old shot and killed his sister. Despite the child’s age, Pennsylvania law requires that we charge Jah’sir Vasquez in adult criminal court for the shooting death of his sister,” said DA Steele.
Jah’sir was arraigned before Magisterial District Court Judge Cathleen Kelly Rebar, who denied bail and ordered that the teen be held at the Montgomery County Juvenile Detention Center.
A preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m., March 26, before Magisterial District Judge Richard H. Welsh.
The case remains under investigation.
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