Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter after stabbing boyfriend during argument in Miami
A teen who fatally stabbed her boyfriend during an argument in Miami in 2024 pleaded guilty during her court appearance on Monday.
Jahara Malik, 18, was charged with manslaughter for stabbing and killing her boyfriend, 17-year-old Yakheim Lollar, after the two got into an argument near Northwest 6th Court and 61st Street on Dec. 20, 2024.
She was 17 at the time of the stabbing and was charged as an adult.
Lollar’s family has been vocal since the beginning and held protests outside the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, demanding accountability. Their calls for justice eventually led prosecutors to file charges against Malik more than a month after the killing.
Now, nearly two years later, the case will not go to trial.
There was no plea deal. Instead, Malik pleaded guilty and will allow a judge to decide her punishment.
The victim’s family says they want the maximum sentence, which is 30 years in prison.
“I want the max,” said Nathalie Jean, Lollar’s mother. “That is what I want. A life for a life. She took my son’s life for no reason. She took my son’s life because he was honest [with] her that he didn’t want to be with her. And she not realizing her actions, her behavior and her entitlement is the reason why he didn’t want to be with her.”
“Manslaughter is negligent conduct,” said Larry Handfield, a defense attorney. “That was brought on. Even though it was not intended, the result says a whole lot as far as I am concerned for recognizing and accepting responsibility.”
In February 2025, Malik appeared in court, where her attorneys were hoping the teen would be allowed to move to Port St. Lucie and await trial.
“Her whole defense is horseplaying. Who horseplays with a knife? You are learned as a kid that you don’t play with sharp objects, right?” Nathalie Jean, Lollar’s mother, told NBC6.
The young woman was granted house arrest during her bond court appearance last weekend, something Lollar’s family was strongly against.
The victim’s family demanded Judge Christine Hernandez revoke Malik’s house arrest and send her back to jail. They considered Malik dangerous and immature and mentioned a video of her allegedly fighting in school, which they said led to a suspension.
However, state attorneys who represent the victim’s family admitted they couldn’t request for her to be detained. Because manslaughter is a charge where a defendant could be released, and Malik had no prior criminal history, Assistant State Attorney Kevin Betancourt told the judge, over the family’s objections, that he felt the appropriate bond was house arrest, but he did request more limitations.
On the other hand, Malik’s attorneys argued for the teen to be granted permission to live in Port St Lucie and await trial. They wanted Malik to attend school there instead of in Miami-Dade.
“You have to understand that this was an accidental situation, this was not intended, and this young girl has no prior history in the juvenile system,” said Larry Handfield, the attorney representing Malik
At the end of the hearing, Judge Hernandez sided with the state attorneys and elevated the level of house arrest to total lockdown. Before Thursday, Malik was allowed to go outside with a GPS monitor. Now, with the elevated level of house arrest, Malik is only allowed to go to school and see her attorney.
“Right now we feel like there was no justice served. She’s still able to go out, even though if they got her in lockdown, What is the difference between her being in jail and at home? She still can’t go nowhere, so why didn’t she stay in jail?” Jean said.
Malik’s sentencing is set for May 5.
She is facing up to 30 years in prison.
