A horrific scene unfolded in Beach Park on Thursday when a 9-year-old girl was found critically wounded in her home, stabbed multiple times in what officials describe as an attack by her mother's boyfriend, Demetrius Fisher. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the child's mother discovered the gruesome sight after Fisher, 30, fled the house; this occurred following a call from the school inquiring about her daughter's unexplained absence.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office reported that the suspect, after allegedly committing the stabbing at the residence on North Manor Avenue, was seen escaping the scene by the mother as she was arriving, and shortly thereafter, deputies located Fisher at the Waukegan Metra station where he was arrested. As described by ABC7 Chicago, the neighborhood was left reeling from the event, marked by a sizable police presence and the subsequent hospitalization of the child in critical condition, with residents expressing disbelief and concern over the shocking violence that had invaded their community.
Joe Pilman, a Beach Park resident, expressed his dismay to ABC7 Chicago, "I just hope they're okay... whoever got stabbed... it's crazy." Alexandra Mireles, who lives next door, recalled how the victim and her brother would often play outside with Mireles's daughters. "The little girl and little boy are always outside... brother and sister," Mireles told ABC7 Chicago. "When I come home with my daughters, they're here, so they play in the yard with the dog for a little bit.. run around." Fisher has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and remains in custody, with the sheriff's office confirming there is no further danger to the public at this time.
This tragedy has sparked a fervent plea from the community, with Mireles advising, "It's just crazy... keep your children very very close because you just never know what's gonna happen." Authorities have not yet released the identity of the young girl as she continues to receive treatment at the hospital and the investigation by sheriff's detectives persists. With a court appearance expected on Friday, Fisher faces a grave legal battle ahead for the dire act allegedly committed.
