A young mother who narrowly survived a brutal and unprovoked stabbing in Māngere nearly two weeks ago has spoken out in hopes that her story will help police track down her attacker and warn others to stay vigilant.
The woman, referred to as Mary for safety reasons, was attacked on the night of Friday, September 26, after stopping to visit her relative Audrey at her home on Idlewild Avenue around 9:45 p.m., Taiha Molyneux of RNZ reported.
“I had literally just pulled up, the engine was still running, the headlights were on, the music was still playing,” Mary said. “I turned around to close the window, and this guy was just standing there staring at me. He never said anything, he just stood there, then I saw his hand reach through the window, and he just started stabbing me in the face,” as quoted by Taiha Molyneux of RNZ reported.
The assault was sudden and frenzied. Mary was stabbed four times in the face before her attacker severed a radial artery in her arm as she tried to protect herself. “I couldn't see his face. I didn't feel the pain at first, I just felt the blood,” RNZ reported.
Despite her injuries, Mary fought back. She slammed her car door into the man until he dropped the knife and ran. “He kind of fell backwards a bit and dropped the knife, then he just got up and ran.”
Inside the house, Audrey had no idea what was happening until she heard a desperate banging on her bedroom window. “I pulled the curtain back and just saw blood everywhere. Her face, her hair, her whole body were soaked in blood,” reported RNZ
Audrey immediately called 111 and rushed outside to help her wounded relative. “All she could say was ‘he ran that way and help me,’” she said. “There was so much blood, and she was too weak to move, so I just sat with her waiting for the ambulance. I was screaming so loud, the neighbours had come out and were trying to help as well,” Taiha Molyneux of RNZ reported.
Paramedics and police arrived soon after, rushing Mary to the hospital, where she was treated for multiple stab wounds and severe blood loss. The weapon was recovered from the scene, and Mary’s car was seized for forensic examination.
In the days following the attack, Mary and Audrey said they were left frustrated by the lack of updates from the police.
“Police called me on Saturday to say someone would come to my house on Sunday to get my statement, but no one turned up,” Mary said. “That was all I heard for four days. We texted and called the names and numbers they gave us, but no one was replying,” Taiha Molyneux of RNZ reported.
Fearing valuable time was being lost, Mary and her partner began visiting local shops to see if anyone had CCTV footage from that night. “We didn't know if any of the shops on the road had CCTV, so we went and asked them if they did and if they could look through their footage from that night to see if they caught anything,” Taiha Molyneux of RNZ reported.
According to a report by Taiha Molyneux of RNZ, Audrey said the incident has left the neighbourhood shaken. “There's a school right behind our houses, don't know if they've been told,” she said. “Mary's dealing with major physical and mental trauma; that attack has had a ripple effect on everyone. I'm afraid to leave my house at night, I'm scared to walk to my car, I don't know if that guy is still hanging around, it’s bloody terrifying.”
Detective Inspector Karen Bright of Counties Manukau CIB said police are continuing to investigate the assault and are doing all they can to identify the offender.
She confirmed that a preliminary statement was taken from the victim on the night of the attack, with a full statement recorded later once she was well enough. “Police collected two statements from witnesses on Friday night and a forensic examination of the victim's car has been completed. The community can be reassured that we are doing what we can to bring this matter to a conclusion,” RNZ reported.
Bright said officers are working tirelessly on the case and are keeping the victim informed as the investigation progresses.
Mary and Audrey are urging residents in Māngere, especially those living near Idlewild Avenue, to check any personal or business security cameras for footage between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on September 26.
As quoted by RNZ, “Hopefully, by letting more people know what happened, where it happened and when it happened, there's a better chance of catching this guy before he hurts someone else,” Mary said.
Police are asking anyone with information that could help identify the attacker to contact them online or call 105.
ISSUE
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