In an unsettling event that unfolded in the early hours of the morning, a Mesa family was subject to a brutal home invasion. As reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, a mother and her two daughters, ages 16 and 18, were attacked and stabbed by an unknown assailant on September 17th at their apartment near Dobson and Broadway Roads. The incident occurred while they were reportedly asleep in their home.
The youngest daughter managed to escape and seek help after the attack began. "If this was truly a random attack and this person just happened to find an open door, that just further shows how important it is to not only protect yourself, but your children," Mesa Police Det. John Dreyer stated in comments obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix. A neighbor spoke of prior incidents in the early mornings where it sounded like someone was trying to open their door, always ensuring their own locks were secure.
All of the victims are expected to survive their injuries and were taken to a hospital following the incident. According to Arizona’s Family, evidence at the scene indicated no signs of forced entry, leaving many questions as to how the assailant entered the apartment.
"All three of them said they were attacked in the same manner," said Det. Dreyer, as quoted by Arizona’s Family. The suspect remains at large, and police are working diligently to gather evidence and follow up on potential leads. Samantha Bonura, a resident from the same complex, recounted the gruesome scene she saw after the incident, "I saw blood all over the floor. It looked like there was a struggle in the house." The family also reports that their dog went missing during the attack, urging anyone with information to contact the Arizona Humane Society.
Currently, the police maintain the stance that there appears to be no immediate threat to the general public. The detectives are re-interviewing the victims to ascertain whether there was any relationship between them and the suspect, as initially, the victims stated the man was unknown to them. "Detectives are still trying to determine if a relationship existed between the suspect and the family, as it was not exactly known at the time. The information we had at the time from the victims was that the man was unknown to them. The detectives had some concerns about the limited visibility in the apartment and are reinterviewing the victims," Det. Dreyer explained in a statement obtained by Arizona’s Family. The community remains on edge until the suspect is apprehended.
