Two Women Attacked In Haverhill; Suspect In Custody
HAVERHILL (CBS) – A man is in custody after he allegedly attacked two women in Haverhill Wednesday afternoon. One of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries.
It happened on Fairview Farm Road, right on the Salem, New Hampshire line. A Salem police officer was among the first to arrive and try to intervene in the attack.
Neighbor Chris Heywood was visibly shaken as police swarmed the area, surrounding a car that had veered off the road into a yard.
"As soon as he crashed he got out, pounced on her and started stabbing her in the neck," Heywood said.
The man in custody has been identified Jake Kavanaugh of Haverhill.
It was just after 4 p.m. when neighbors say Kavanaugh, who lives on the street, drove by a woman and her daughter walking their dogs and then spun out into the grass.
What happened next is unclear, but 911 calls summoned police and by the time Chris Heywood scrambled over to the commotion, the scene was horrific.
"At the same time I ran over there was a Salem Police officer come running through, took the assailant off of her, handcuffed him, and tried to get her to have some kind of response but it didn't look good," Heywood said.
Authorities confirm that a woman has been med-flighted to a Boston hospital with life-threatening injuries. Neighbors said the woman's daughter was also stabbed, but less seriously.
They also say the suspect and victims all know each other making the whole thing a mystery. Neighbors say the suspect in this case has a troubled history.