Brooklyn Neighborhood On Alert After Mother Protecting 2 Kids Gets Stabbed By Silent Stranger
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A mother is recovering after being stabbed by a stranger on a Brooklyn street, causing residents in the neighborhood to fear for their safety.
Police said the 34-year-old woman was walking to her vehicle around 6:40 a.m. Wednesday on Fifth Avenue near 83rd Street in Bay Ridge.
A man allegedly came up to the family at random, menaced two children - ages 9 and 11 - and then stabbed the mother in the abdomen with a sharp object.
Police said the suspect did not say anything before the attack. He took off heading east on 83rd Street.
The victim was able to walk to a nearby hospital, where she was treated for a puncture wound.
The woman's husband says the attack could have been much worse.
"He was going towards my daughter, not my wife," he said. "When my wife saw that, she got in the way between the man and my daughter."
As for neighbors in the area, they say they are horrified.
"It is sort of a wake-up call to me and my neighbors to be vigilant," said Judith Collins of Bay Ridge.
"Sometimes I hear brawls on the street," said resident Carol Patti. "It's scary, there should be more police surveillance."
Police say they have no word on a motive. The attacker didn't steal anything, and no arrests have been made.
Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website, by tweeting @NYPDTips or by texting 274637.
