HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – A 16-year-old boy was arrested on Friday in connection to the death of a teenage girl whose body was found near the Cypress Lake Preserve on Thursday morning, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies reported that the girl’s body was discovered by a passerby off Ridge Manor Boulevard in Ridge Manor, near Cypress Lake Preserve, at approximately 9:35 a.m. on Thursday.
Sheriff Al Nienhuis stated during a news conference that “We found out from one witness that this young lady left her home early in the morning. She went to go meet an individual who was likely the person who killed her.”
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Nienhuis indicated that the 16-year-old boy, Cameron Cubel, likely used an “edged weapon” in the killing.
“There was a lot of passion and a lot of violence involved in the particular death, so we were relatively confident that it wasn’t a random act,” Nienhuis said. “It was nothing short of very violent.”
The victim has been identified by her family as Abbriella Elliott, who had celebrated her 16th birthday just two weeks prior to her death.
Sheriff Nienhuis confirmed that the victim and the 16-year-old boy were known to each other.
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Authorities said the boy is in the process of being charged with first-degree murder.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about the case to call them at 352-754-6830 and ask to speak to Detective J. Mitro. You can also contact Hernando County Crime Stoppers at 866-990-TIPS (8477) or by texting **TIPS from a mobile device.
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