It seems like every day, there is another story in the news about the increase in violent crimes in cities. According to recent reports, crime rates in the United States are up by a staggering amount in the last year alone, especially in Philadelphia. This unexpected spike in crime has Philadelphians on edge.
CBS Philadelphia reported that police have identified a suspect in a brutal stabbing attack that left a woman and her two sons hospitalized. Police shared that the charges against Hengian Ni, 39, included three counts of attempt to commit murder and an attempt to commit rape. So far, a plea in the case hasn’t been entered as Ni was denied bail.
Victims suffered multiple wounds
The woman who was attacked by Ni was, in fact, wounded in multiple areas. Although she was rushed to the hospital quickly, she remains in critical condition. According to officials, both children are in stable condition; the victim’s 10-year-old son was stabbed in his left leg and the back of his head, while the 15-year-old was stabbed twice in the back of his head.
Eyewitnesses share what happened when the crime took place
Speaking to CBS Philadelphia, witnesses shared that the kids were stabbed while attempting to protect their mom. A neighbor revealed that the children witnessed Ni stabbing their mom and came down to help. That’s when the attacker stabbed them, too.
While the woman was fighting to survive, witnesses informed CBS Philadelphia that Ni casually walked away with a backpack after the attack. Seconds later, the kids told neighbors that the attacker had been following them outside and that he worked with their mom.
“I didn’t know what he was going to do if he was going to try to attack them again. So I said, ‘Run, run, run, inside my house.’ So we all ran inside my basement,” a neighbor stated. She added that as she gathered herself and the kids at home, she checked to see if the suspect was still following them. “He just turned around, he looked at us, and just casually walked away,” she stated.
The neighbor then called 911 as the children begged her to look at their mom. Two hours after attacking the trio, the suspect turned himself in.
Police haven’t yet revealed a possible motive. The only thing they know so far is that the victim and the attacker were co-workers.