Man - Arrested in Leicester - Charged With Teenage Girl's Murder
9 March 2019, 05:56 | Updated: 9 March 2019, 06:14
A man - arrested in Leicester - has been charged with the murder of 17-year-old Jodie Chesney, who was stabbed in a park in east London.
Manuel Petrovic, 20, of Highfield Road, Romford, was detained on Tuesday in connection with the incident.
He is due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on Saturday.
Another man who was arrested on suspicion of murder in London on Friday remains in custody, Scotland Yard said.
Jodie was playing music with friends near a children's playground at Harold Hill when she was knifed from behind in a seemingly motiveless attack on March 1.
She was pronounced dead just over an hour after officers were called at about 9.25pm.
A post-mortem examination gave the cause of the Girl Scout's death as trauma and haemorrhage.
Jodie's father Peter Chesney described the teenager as a "proud geek" and a "great girl", adding: "The fibre of her being was just about being good, kind... there was nothing bad in her body."
He said Jodie's death had torn the family apart and said: "We don't know how to deal with it.
"Everyone is suffering because she was so good... everyone just can't believe - why her? It is not one life deserves to be killed over another, but specifically her, she was so kind."
Her death has added to the urgency for action to be taken to tackle knife crime across the UK.
On Thursday, people wore purple ribbons and carried purple balloons in memory of the teenager as they took part in march through Romford calling for an end to knife crime.
A murder investigation into Jodie's death continues.
Anyone with information should call the Homicide and Major Crime Command Incident Room on 020 8345 3775, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
