Exclusive: Elevator Stabbing Victim Mikayla Capers Speaks To CBS2
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The girl who miraculously survived being stabbed 16 times by a stranger in a Brooklyn elevator talked to prosecutors on Sunday.
They're preparing for the sentencing in two weeks of the man convicted of attacking her and killing her best friend.
Brave Mikayla Capers also spoke exclusively to CBS2's Dave Carlin.
"I would like to say thank you to everyone that helped me through the time, sent me letters and sent me things I needed for support," Mikayla said.
It was the 11-year-old's first interview since the verdict that found Daniel St. Hubert guilty of viciously stabbing her inside an elevator in East New York back in 2014.
The stranger who followed her in to the lift also stabbed to death Mikayla's companion, her best friend P.J. Avitto.
On Sunday afternoon, Mikayla and a large number of her family members went to the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, reuniting with detectives and prosecutors. Some she had not seen since right after the attack when she was 7 years old.
They fought tirelessly for justice on her and P.J.'s behalf.
Mikayla was escorted upstairs. At her side was her great-grandmother, Regenia Trevathan, who did the honors of introducing the girl who has endured so much to DA Gonzalez.
"I wish this had never happened," Gonzalez said. "We are going to the next stage, which is to talk about sentencing."
The family and prosecutors went in to a session behind closed boardroom doors to talk about the sentencing phase. Privacy was very necessary for the discussion of how to prepare necessary victim impact statements that delve in to how Mikayla suffered, along with those close to her, and the pain felt by P.J.'s family.
"The verdict came out correct," said Aricka McClinton, P.J.'s mother. "Because he can't be here anymore, so I have to represent P.J."
St. Hubert's motive remains a mystery. He faces life in prison.
Mikayla is embracing life. She is appearing in an upcoming play at school and art is helping her heal. She told CBS2's Carlin she'll be a professional artist one day, much more than that girl known for the elevator attack.
