Police ID girl, 15, stabbed to death by West Philly man she met on social media

Police identified the 15-year-old girl who was stabbed to death in West Philadelphia this week by a 23-year-old man she met on social media. Her body was then set on fire.

Sabriya McLean of New Castle County, Del., was stabbed more than 50 times on Monday evening by Cole Swaringer-Herring in his family's apartment in the 200 block of South 49th Street, Homicide Capt. John Ryan said Thursday.

Swaringer-Herring took the body outside to the rear of the apartment and set it on fire, Ryan said.

About 10:10 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to the rear alley and found the body under a pile of leaves. Swaringer-Herring was at the scene and was taken into custody. He was charged with murder, arson, abuse of corpse, and related offenses.

Police have not released a motive or details on how the suspect and the teenager connected.

McLean, who had no criminal history, had been reported missing by her family, Ryan said.

In 2013, Swaringer-Herring was sentenced to two to 10 years in state prison after pleading guilty to a 2012 robbery by threat of immediate serious injury.

He was facing another felony robbery case but a witness failed to appear in court and the prosecution was dropped in August, according to court records.

Ranada Brown, 33, who lives with her children in the same apartment building, said the news and its proximity to her family shook her.

"I go back there to dump my trash," Brown said. Her children "ride their bikes through there."

She added, "Me and a friend of mine, we were just out here. Regardless of who it was, we were just praying for the family, praying they get some type of closure."

Staff writer Colt Shaw contributed to this article.