A New York City Instagram model was arraigned for the second-degree murder of her father and second-degree attempted murder of her younger sister in what prosecutors now claim was an argument over a laptop, according to NBC.
Nikki Secondino, a 22-year-old transgender model, is accused of bludgeoning and stabbing her father, 61-year-old Carlo, then turning what Nikki later called her “favorite German knife” on her 19-year-old sister, Liana, NBC says. Nikki allegedly stabbed Liana in the back, head, and stomach.
Her father succumbed to his injuries at the scene, NBC says, while Liana was rushed to the hospital, where she remains recovering, and Nikki continues to be held at Rikers Island.
“This defendant is charged with brutally killing her own father and then stabbing her younger sister, allegedly following an argument over a laptop,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in a statement.
“My office will vigorously prosecute this horrific case and seek justice for the victims,” he continued.
The indictment unsealed on Monday revealed harrowing new details in an already horrifying case, the Daily Mail reports. Nikki initially told cops two intruders had entered her father’s home and sexually assaulted her, a story she later admitted to formulating after attacking her family.
She was initially hospitalized, but then arrested and taken into custody, following an interrogation that revealed she had made the whole thing up to cover up for her own alleged violent actions, the Daily Mail says.
“My father was sitting on the couch. I hit him on the head with a hammer. Then I reached for my favorite German knife and stabbed the s*** out of him,” Nikki allegedly told police, according to the criminal complaint.
“My sister came out and tried to stop me, and I stabbed her in the back, head and stomach,” she said, then added chillingly, “If I would have seen the 911 caller, she would have been next.”
Nikki met the police when they arrived on the scene at around 5:30 a.m., telling them two home invaders in black and ski masks had attacker her and her family, and sexually assaulted her, the Daily Mail says. However, when officers got into the apartment building, a bleeding Liana told them, “My sister stabbed me. Have you seen my dad?”
The absence of a safe in the home and a lack of serious injuries inflicted on Nikki initially raised suspicion for police, the Daily Mail says, citing the criminal complaint. NBC adds that a high-ranking NYPD source revealed how Nikki allegedly made statements that raised more red flags to investigators.
Still, NBC reports that police spent much of the day hunting for the alleged home invaders..
The fabrication began unraveling when Liana pulled at the threads of it from her hospital bed, confirming to police that there had been no home invaders; the attacker had come from within the home, and was none other than her own sister, the Daily Mail says.
The family had a troubled home life littered with domestic problems, including two incidents of threats and violence, before Nikki requested an order of protection against her father, which was granted by a judge, NBC reports.
Nikki was taken back to Rikers Island, where she is being held awaiting trial, with her next court date scheduled for April, the Daily Mail says. She faces charges of charges of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted, she could spent 50 years to life behind bars.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail adds, Liana continues to recover in hospital, and her friends have raised over $100,000 to help with her recovery.
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