A seven-year-old girl identified as Eddimar Hernandez has died after police said she was suddenly attacked and stabbed multiple times while walking with her teenage sister.
According to a report by Fox News, the young girl and her older sister were walking when a woman allegedly approached them and lunged at the teenager before grabbing Eddimar and stabbing her several times in the back.
Witnesses reportedly chased the suspect after the attack and managed to restrain her until police arrived. The suspect was identified as 48-year-old Shavon Gayden.
Gayden was reportedly knocked unconscious during the pursuit before she was taken into custody by authorities.
Eddimar was rushed to a hospital following the attack, but she was pronounced dead.
The circumstances surrounding the attack have left the girl’s family devastated, with her mother calling for justice for her daughter.
“My daughter’s death should not be left like this. There must be justice for my little girl. She wasn’t bothering anyone,” Eddimar’s mother said, according to Fox News.
Police have not publicly disclosed a motive for the attack, leaving investigators to determine what may have prompted Gayden to allegedly target the child and her teenage sister.
Authorities reportedly said Gayden had an outstanding arrest warrant at the time of the incident and described her as a repeat offender with a history of violent attacks.
The details have intensified concerns about how individuals with previous criminal records are handled when they come into contact with the justice system, although the circumstances surrounding Gayden’s outstanding warrant and previous cases have not been fully detailed in the report.
Witnesses who intervened after the stabbing were reportedly able to stop the suspect before officers took over the situation.
The death of Eddimar has since left her family mourning the loss of a child who, according to her mother, had not been involved in any confrontation with the suspect.
Investigators are expected to continue examining the circumstances leading up to the attack, including whether the suspect knew the victims and what prompted the sudden confrontation.
For Eddimar’s family, however, the immediate focus remains on getting answers and seeing the person accused in connection with the killing face justice.
The case remains under investigation, and the allegations against Gayden have yet to be resolved in court.
