Girl Found Dead Inside Rocklin Home Remembered
ROCKLIN (CBS) - More questions than answers surround the empty home at the end of Monument Springs Drive in Rocklin.
A day after a 13-year-old girl was killed, neighbors are still in shock.
"I broke down in tears. It's really sad," said Gail Gurkin. She moved into the neighborhood about a week ago and says the crime caught everyone by surprise.
"It hits close to home," she Gurkin.
Ashley Wood's mother found her body in her bedroom just before 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
Wood's 14-year-old sibling was later picked up by police as the only suspect.
"It's hard to believe this is happening. It's sad," said Gurkin.
Wood attended Sierra Elementary school before leaving the school system in 2013.
For the yearbook, Wood was asked where she wanted to be in 10 years. Her response: "In the Olympics, doing gymnastics."
The dedicated athlete trained at Extreme Gymnastics and Cheer. Staff there tells CBS13 that she stopped coming to their location about five years ago.
"They're going to need to be around family and loved ones right now," said Gurkin.
With few answers from investigating agencies, parents in a neighborhood filled with children are looking for explanations.
"It's a difficult situation. It's something you don't think you'll ever talk to your child about.
Gurkin's young daughter had seen the police cars and tape and was asking questions.
"I just needed to be honest with her and tell her what's going on," said Gurkin.
Police issued a statement Tuesday morning but left out many details including the motivation, what was used to kill Wood, and whether her 14-year-old brother would be charged with her death.
The Department of Justice is involved in the investigation. Rocklin police say it's to provide an extra layer of transparency. The home where Ashley Wood was killed is owned by Jeffery Ronald Wood. A person by that name also works at the Placer County District Attorney's Office.
On Facebook, Wood's oldest brother posted a picture of him and his sister with the caption, "Forever in my heart."