Woman’s Young Sons Stabbed While Trying To Protect Her From Attacker

Philadelphia, PA – A Philadelphia woman and her two sons were viciously stabbed by one of the woman’s coworkers during an attack at the family’s home on Sunday, according to police.

Witnesses said the 37-year-old woman’s two sons, ages 10 and 15, were stabbed while trying to protect their mother, KYW reported.

The brutal attack occurred at a home located in the 3200-block of Knorr Street at approximately 2:08 p.m. on March 6, according to WCAU.

A neighbor said she was out in her driveway when the two bloodied children came running out into the alley, KYW reported.

“When the second kid came running out, he was covered in blood from, like, head all the way down to his stomach,” the neighbor said. “They said [the suspect] was stabbing the mom, and the kids came down to help and that’s how they got stabbed.”

The boys told their neighbor the man who attacked them was their mother’s coworker and that he had chased them outside, KYW reported.

That’s when the neighbor spotted the suspect outside the home.

“I didn’t know what he was going to do, if he was going to try to attack them again,” she told KYW. “So, I said, ‘Run, run, run, inside my house.’”

The neighbor said that as she was ushering the wounded children to her basement, she looked over her shoulder to see if the suspect was chasing them.

“He just turned around, looked at us and just casually walked away,” she told KYW.

The neighbor called 911 as soon as she got the boys to safety.

She said the children then begged her to check on their mother, so she went and called out to her, KYW reported.

The severely-injured woman stumbled out of her home moments later.

“She was mumbling,” the neighbor told WCAU. “She said, ‘Help me. Help me.’ She came struggling down the steps. I told her, ‘I called the ambulance. Hold on stay there.’ She was like, ‘My sons. My sons.’ I was like, ‘I have them. I have them. They’re safe.'”

The woman and her sons were rushed to Frankford Torresdale Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition, WCAU reported.

Police said the 10-year-old boy suffered stab wounds to his left leg and the back of his head, according to KYW.

The suspect also stabbed the 15-year-old boy twice in the back of his head.

Both children were listed in stable condition, WCAU reported.

Police said the woman’s coworker, 39-year-old New York resident Hengjian Ni, turned himself in to the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) 15th District headquarters about two hours later.

He was transported to the hospital, where investigators identified him as the man who carried out the triple-stabbing, WCAU reported.

The motive for the attack has not been released.

Ni has been charged with attempted rape, attempted murder, burglary, possessing instruments of crime, recklessly endangering another person, aggravated assault, and simple assault, WCAU reported.