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Facebook Feud, Dispute Over Man Led to Deadly Stabbing

SCRANTON — We are learning more about both the suspect and victim in a deadly stabbing in Scranton. The violence appears to have been fueled by a Facebook...
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SCRANTON -- We are learning more about both the suspect and victim in a deadly stabbing in Scranton. The violence appears to have been fueled by a Facebook fight over a guy.

An 18-year-old mother is dead and a 16-year-old high school sophomore will most likely be charged with homicide.

That 16-year-old sophomore, Cathleen Boyer, has been charged as an adult with aggravated assault and other charges for an alleged fight turned deadly on Sunday in Scranton's hill section.

There are candles and balloons in the spot where Arlene Sembrot's husband usually parks his truck on McKenna Court in Scranton. They are reminders of why the Sembrots have felt uneasy since Sunday night.

"I feel bad. Now that you tell me she had a 1 year old,. I feel really bad about it."

The candles spell out the initials "K.V." for 18-year-old Kayla VanWert.

Police say the young mom was stabbed twice there Sunday night. She died later at the hospital.

Another teenager is in police custody. Officers say Cathleen Boyer arranged the fight with the victim that turned deadly.

Witnesses told Newswatch 16 that a man carried Kayla VanWert's body from the alley Sunday night.

Arlene Sembrot saw an SUV pull up a few minutes later.

"Then I seen a guy get out and pick something up, he had a red shirt on and all these chains on. And then he got in the car, so I came down here, right about right here, and they flew through the alley," Sembrot recalled.

Sembrot says a group of five people then seemed to search the scene with flashlights.

The cause of the fight between the two girls was well known amongst family, friends, and Facebook friends. Cathleen Boyer and Kayla VanWert were fighting over the father of VanWert's 1-year-old daughter -- Jorge DeJesus, 19, of Scranton.

DeJesus is in jail on a parole violation after allegedly being violent with VanWert.

Officials with the Scranton School District say Kayla VanWert used to attend Scranton High School. The accused, Cathleen Boyer, is currently a sophomore at West Scranton High School.

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