A 4-year-old girl was stabbed multiple times by a family member at a home in New Jersey on Friday, authorities said.
The shocking act of violence occurred in Paterson, some 20 miles west of New York City, late Friday afternoon.
Authorities reported to a residence on East 24th St. and 10th Ave. around 4 p.m., when they found the young victim, ABC 7 reported.
A woman, described as the child’s mother, was seen by witnesses hysterically crying and carrying the young victim out of the home as first responders arrived.
The girl, who was covered in blood, was rushed to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center for treatment. She was listed in stable condition as of 7:30 p.m., the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Paterson Police Department said in a joint statement.
The stabbing is believed to have unfolded during a fight among family members, NBC New York reported. The reason for the fight wasn’t immediately clear.
Paterson Councilmember Luis Velez told PIX News that police are trying to locate the girl’s aunt, who shares the home with the young victim and the girl’s mother.
“The auntie was the one who performed this crime [and] she was in emotional distress,” Velez said, adding the stabbing happened in the backyard.
“The mother was inside the house,” Velez said. “When she came out … she saw the whole scenario.”
The aunt allegedly fled after the incident and was not on the scene when officers arrived.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately return a request for comment Saturday morning.