Police revealed that a woman who was stabbed while walking with her 3-year-old son along a Brookhaven walking path was five months pregnant and had to have an emergency C-section.
The 34-year-old woman and her baby are both stable, according to Lt. David Snively.
“The child is in the NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit) and is expected to stay there for several months, and the victim is expected to be in the hospital for several more days,” he said.
The stabbing took place about 5:30 p.m. Saturday along the Peachtree Creek Greenway, police previously said. Investigators said a man approached the woman and her son, and the man stabbed the woman in the back when they tried to walk away. Her 3-year-old was not injured.
“From everything we can tell, this is a completely unprovoked attack,” Snively said, adding that the woman lives in Brookhaven. “I recognize that’s probably the scariest of the possible explanations... We’re very troubled by what led up to this because this is one of those cases where it appears the victim did everything right.”
Snively said the interaction, which took place near the Corporate Boulevard access point to the popular multi-use trail, didn’t escalate before the stabbing. He wasn’t sure exactly what was said between the two adults, but he said the interaction “was not ugly” or profane until it escalated to violence.
Investigators are still searching for the suspect. They released a photo of a man, who they described as between 20 and 30 years old, about 5-foot-8 and weighing approximately 160 to 180 pounds. Police added that the suspect, who was wearing a white tank top, dark shorts and a hat with the word “Dope” written on it, ran away from the scene.
A GoFundMe page that was created by a friend of the victim has raised more than $38,000 as of Wednesday morning. The post said the woman is a teacher and that her newborn is a boy.
“Although they are healing, they have a long road ahead of them and a very prolonged hospital stay,” the post said. “... They are so appreciative of all the love and support.”
Snively said investigators have received several tips about the suspect since the incident took place, but he encouraged anyone with information to contact Brookhaven police at 404-637-0636. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to the Crime Stoppers hotline at 404-577-8477.
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