A babysitter was arrested in Las Vegas this week, accused of stabbing the 3-year-old girl she was watching to death.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to a residence in the city at 3:36 a.m. Wednesday and found the victim suffering from stab wounds. She was taken to a hospital for treatment but died there. Her babysitter was arrested near the scene.

Marketta Phillips, 41, was watching 3-year-old Journei Ross while the toddler’s father, Jeremy Ross, was at work. At some point, police said, she stabbed Journei and stayed at the apartment until Mr. Ross returned. He and Ms. Phillips were in a relationship.

“She was doing her thing, I was doing my thing. I was trying to help her because she wanted help with her music career. … I came in the house around 3:30. I saw her in the kitchen laying on her side. There was dried-up blood, and I thought she was cooking and cut herself,” he said at a press conference Thursday, according to Henderson’s KVVU-TV.

Mr. Ross then went to check on Journei.

“I went to the room and saw my baby girl right there. I said, ‘What did you do to my child?’ And instantly called 911, doing chest compressions, everything for my child. … Right when I called 911 is when [Ms. Phillips] booked it out of the house,” he said.

Ms. Phillips was charged with “Open Murder with a Deadly Weapon,” police said. According to Clark County’s website, that term “charges Murder in the First Degree and all necessarily included offenses. These would include Murder in the Second Degree and possibly Voluntary Manslaughter and Involuntary Manslaughter based upon the specific facts of the case.”

The toddler’s mother, Phalan Whitson, shared custody of Journei with Mr. Ross and last saw her daughter Monday. 

Ms. Phillips was denied bail at a hearing Thursday and is due back in court Tuesday, reported to Las Vegas’ KTNV-TV.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.