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Police Arrest Mother In Murder Of Ventura Girl, 8

VENTURA (CBS/AP) — Police in Ventura have announced the arrest of a 25-year-old woman for the murder of her 8-year-old daughter.

Sgt. Jack Richards told reporters at a news conference Monday that a man came out of an apartment in the 1300 block of Saratoga Avenue bleeding with stab wounds on his arms and was taken away in an ambulance.

Neighbors tell the Ventura County Star said the woman came screaming out of the apartment saying a girl was "dead in the bathtub."

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Amy Johnson, reporting for CBS 2 and KCAL 9, said the girl was about seven years old. One of the neighbors said the girl was "very happy" and "always playing and seemed to be full of life and energy."

Late Monday evening police announced that the girl's 25-year-old mother, Blair Stockdill, was formally charged with murder.

Ventura police also said it appeared the girl had been dead for several days.

They also announced the mother had recently regained legal custody of the child.

The manner and cause of death is pending a scheduled autopsy.

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report

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