A Bronx family was left reeling after a devastating domestic incident late Wednesday evening. A 12-year-old girl is fighting for her life, and her mother sustained serious injuries, after the NYPD reported that the child's stepfather stabbed them in their apartment on East 173rd Street in Crotona Park East. As per Gothamist, the girl sustained multiple stab wounds to her head, and her 31-year-old mother was stabbed in the abdomen and slashed in the face. Two other children were found unharmed.
The suspect, 28-year-old Joshua Burnside, was taken into custody and is facing charges that include assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and child endangerment. Burnside was found with an injury to his wrist, which seems to suggest a level of violence that was self-inflicted as well. As reported by NBC New York, the two younger children present, aged 5 and 2, are Burnside’s biological children and were thankfully not physically hurt during the incident.
First responders rushed the 12-year-old to Cohen Children's Medical Center in a critical condition. Her mother also required medical attention and, alongside the other children, was taken to Jacobi Hospital in stable condition. The tragic event triggered a response around 11:15 p.m., after a 911 caller reported hearing a woman screaming, which prompted immediate police action.
The investigation is still going to ascertain a motive behind the attack. However, this violent occurrence surfaces amid a significant rise in domestic violence cases in New York City. Indeed, domestic violence complaints have seen an approximately 18% increase over the past five years, with law enforcement officials and experts striving to understand the underlying causes of such surge. According to Gothamist, Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch have announced the creation of a new domestic violence unit, committing about 450 investigators to focus on these crimes specifically.
Meanwhile, Burnside is reportedly waiting for his day in court, with his arraignment pending. At this time, no attorney information for the accused has been made available. The NYPD continues to investigate this horrific stabbing as the city grapples with the larger issue of growing domestic violence rates.
