A 33-year-old Limestone woman was arrested late Friday afternoon in connection with the stabbing death last Sunday of a 27-year-old child care provider in nearby Caswell.

Laura Kirk was arrested at the home of her mother on U.S Route 1A in Limestone by Maine State Police detectives at about 4:30 p.m.

The warrant charges her with the murder of Tara Bell, according to state police Detective Lt. Darrell Ouellette.

Kirk was being held at the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton, pending her initial appearance before a judge next week. A court date had not been set as of Friday.

The weapon used in the attack has not been recovered, police said.

According to Ouellette, Kirk allegedly went to Bell’s home on Libby Road in Caswell just before midnight on Dec. 13. Kirk and Bell allegedly struggled and Bell was fatally stabbed.

Bell’s body was found in her kitchen at about 6:30 a.m. the next day by a woman who had brought her children to Bell’s home, where Bell ran a child care service.

Kirk, who is believed to have used Bell’s service for her own children, was brought in Monday for questioning as a possible witness. At that time, according to Ouellette, wounds could be seen on Kirk’s hands.

Police suspected that Kirk might have been injured during the alleged struggle with Bell. Samples of blood found at Bell’s home were taken to the Maine State Police Crime Lab in Augusta where DNA analysis revealed that they matched that of Kirk.

Ouellette said the blood match, along with other evidence, gave police probable cause to arrest Kirk. He declined to say what the other evidence was.

Bell has two daughters, ages 3 and 6. The older child had spent Sunday night at her grandparents’ home next door. The 3-year-old was asleep in her bed at home when her mother was slain.

Bell was separated from her husband, Troy Bell, who was living at his wife’s former child care center on Bog Road in Caswell at the time his wife was slain.