Police say a man killed a woman in north Philadelphia on Christmas Day, repeatedly stabbing her and even chasing her outside the home at one point in an attack that also critically injured a teenager.
A police spokeswoman says the 35-year-old woman was found with multiple stab wounds to her stomach and chest after the attack shortly before 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. Police rushed the woman to the hospital where she was pronounced dead minutes later.
A 14-year-old boy found inside the home with a stab wound to his right thigh was taken by police to the hospital in critical condition. They applied a tourniquet to his thigh before transporting him because he was bleeding so heavily, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters early Wednesday morning.
Police told NBC Philadelphia that six children, between the ages of 8 and 16, were inside the home and witnessed the attack. Chief Inspector Small said they believe the children are all related in some way.
Authorities arrested the 33-year-old suspect, who they found standing over the injured woman.
Authorities say one of the kids took the knife that was used in the attack, a butcher knife with a 10-inch blade, and hid it in a second floor bedroom to keep the suspect from stabbing anyone else.
Police said the suspect and the woman who died were husband and wife at some point, investigators told NBC Philadelphia.
"It's pretty clear from the crime scene inside that everything happened initially inside. We found a crime scene on the second floor, as well as on the first floor, which consisted of a large amount of blood, there's also broken glass, there's also overturned furniture. So there was clearly a violent struggle inside," Chief Inspector Small said.
Small told ABC6 police believe the suspect, the woman and the six children who were inside all live at the residence.
The suspect also had cuts on his hand, which he suffered while attacking the 35-year-old woman and her 14-year-old son, according to police.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers help to those in distress, or those around them, any time of day or night. Call 800-799-7233 or 800-787-3224, online chat is also available 24/7/365.
