Teen awaits murder trial after sister's release

BARSTOW • A 15-year-old Barstow girl is awaiting trial for the May murder of a Barstow teen after her sister’s release from custody.

Charnisha Smith, 23, and her fifteen-year-old sister, Rasheedah, had been charged with the murder of Chawnteera Harrod, 16, who was stabbed at a party at the 500 block of Fredricks Street on May 21 and later died at Barstow Community Hospital.

Witnesses’ accounts of events that led up to Harrod’s stabbing vary, but prosecutors believe Charnisha and Harrod became involved in physical fight prompted by another fight between two men, and Rasheedah went to defend her sister, stabbing Harrod with a knife.

Both girls were set to face a murder trail after the June preliminary hearing, but Deputy District Attorney Scott Byrd decided to drop charges against Charnisha at a pre-trail hearing in July.  Byrd said that upon evaluation of existing materials he did not find information that warranted keeping Charnisha in custody.

“It was really a re-review of the original (police) report and the transcript of the preliminary hearing,” said Byrd.

Rasheedah’s next day in court is scheduled for Friday, although Byrd said that it would likely be delayed due to a scheduling conflict with Rasheedah’s attorney.
   
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