As the search for a relative accused of stabbing a 4-year-old girl numerous times at her New Jersey home continued Sunday, the victim’s father said she is fighting for her life and that the crime left him “dumbfounded.”
The girl is still in stable condition at Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center, where she is being treated for puncture wounds to her lung and liver, as well as an injured diaphragm, according to her parents.
“She couldn’t answer since she had tubes and everything down her, but when she heard my voice, she opened her eyes and began making eye contact, hoping to see me. “She was responsive, which made me happy,” the girl’s father, Faherem LaSane, told ABC New York affiliate WABC outside the hospital on Saturday afternoon.
LaShane’s daughter’s name is Amber, and he describes her as a joyful kid with a huge smile and an appetite to match.
The stabbing occurred shortly after 4 p.m. Friday in Paterson, New Jersey, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office. When officers arrived at the home for a domestic disturbance, they discovered the youngster had been stabbed many times, according to prosecutors.
Police did not immediately identify the culprit, but Paterson council member Luis Velez told WABC that officers are looking for the child’s aunt in connection with the crime.
According to the family, Amber’s aunt was babysitting her while her mother was at home caring for another child.
Neighbor Keema James said she witnessed the mother emerge from the house with the infant, both covered in blood.
“She had a big gash on her forehead and she had her wrapped up,” James said of the victim during a WABC interview.
LaShan said he was stunned when he learned of the stabbing and raced to the hospital to be by his daughter’s side.
“I was completely dumbfounded and shocked because I didn’t want to believe it.” I didn’t want to believe that at all,” LaShan explained.
The motive for the stabbing is still under investigation.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office requested that anyone with knowledge regarding the incident contact their office.