HILO, Hawai'i — A neighbor who lives across the street from a teenager accused of killing her own 4-month-old son said she heard yelling at the Kona Highlands house before police arrived to investigate a stabbing.

Donna Miller said she heard the 16-year-old girl yelling Wednesday evening and then saw the teenager's brother and other family members arrive shortly before police came to the 'Olu'olu Street home.

"Actually, we did not know where (the yelling) was coming from. We heard a crying, like if you were shocked, that type of thing," she said.

The 16-year-old girl was charged Thursday with second-degree murder. Police Capt. Robert Hickcox said an autopsy on the baby has been scheduled for Monday, and police do not plan to release the infant's name.

"Normally, we release the names of victims, but being that the victim is an innocent and the suspect in this investigation is a minor, we're not releasing that information," he said.

The girl's lawyer, Kona Deputy Public Defender Peter Bresciani, declined to discuss the case yesterday.

Police were called to a reported "accidental stabbing" at the home at 7 p.m. Wednesday and found the infant dead from a knife wound to the neck.

Supervising Deputy Prosecutor Melvin Fujino said authorities believe that the girl was alone with her son when the stabbing occurred.

The teenager lived at the home with her mother, Fujino said. Hickcox said police are still trying to determine who else lives there. The infant was found by one of the 16-year-old's family members, who then called police, he said.

A kitchen knife was recovered from the home, but Hickcox said he could not be certain whether the knife caused the infant's injuries.

Miller said she found it difficult to believe that the girl could have killed the child. She said the family was quiet. "She came over with the baby one day, and the mom was there and they were very nice," she said.

Miller said the girl's mother works evenings at Kona Community Hospital and bought the 'Olu'olu Street house just a few months ago. The family had recently moved to Kona from California, she said.

Kona Family Court Judge Aley K. Auna Jr. on Thursday ordered the teenager held until another hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

The girl was scheduled to undergo a mental health examination at Kona Community Hospital, and the outcome will help authorities decide where she would be detained, Fujino said. The possibilities include a juvenile detention home on O'ahu or a mental health treatment facility.

Fujino said the mental health evaluation also will play a role in whether authorities seek to prosecute the girl as an adult.

Fujino said the name of the girl was withheld because the proceedings against her in Family Court are confidential.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.