Imani Dia Smith, who appeared in “The Lion King” on Broadway as a young stage actress, died after being stabbed at a residence in Edison, New Jersey, police and prosecutors said in a joint news release Tuesday. He was 25 years old, according to a GoFundMe set up by his aunt.

Police responded to a 911 call Monday morning and found Smith with stab wounds, according to the release. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan announced that a suspect, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, of Edison, had been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, second-degree child endangerment, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

Imani Dia Smith appeared in the full-length stage adaptation of
Imani Dia Smith appeared in the long-running stage adaptation of “The Lion King” for about a year.

GoFundMe

Smith and Jackson-Small knew each other before the incident, authorities said. TMZ reported that the suspect was her boyfriend, as did a GoFundMe to support Smith’s family.

Smith played young Nala in “The Lion King” from September 27, 2011 to September 23, 2012, Playbill reported.

He is survived by his parents, two younger brothers and his 3-year-old son, according to the GoFundMe page.