11-year-old injured in random slashing in NYC. Hear from the victim and her mom, who chased the suspect.
NEW YORK -- An 11-year-old girl is recovering after she was randomly slashed in the head in East Harlem on Friday. The victim and her mother spoke to CBS New York's Kristie Keleshian about the frightening experience.
It happened on East 116th Street between Lexington and Park avenues.
"Me and my mom's main goal was trying to catch him"
Malgorzata Sladek and her daughter, Maxi Park, had spent the day shopping and were near the 116th Street 6 train station when Sladek heard what she thought was her daughter being punched in the head.
"I didn't realize what happened," Sladek said.
The mother said she saw "a lot of hair" fall to the ground and blood gushing from where Maxi had been slashed down the back of her head. Sladek locked eyes with the knife-wielding attacker.
"I started screaming, 'Please catch this man, he stabbed my daughter,' and I kept running and running," Sladek said.
"Even though my head was still hurting, my main goal, me and my mom's main goal was trying to catch him," Maxi said.
With Sladek supporting Maxi's head, the two still managed to chase him before he was held down by good Samaritans then arrested.
Police identify the suspect as 30-year-old Shaquan Cummings. Charges include second- and third-degree assault, endangering the welfare of a child and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
"I want him to be behind bars"
The suspect's arrest is a small comfort to the victim and her mother.
"I feel a little bit better now because my head got treated and I know that he's in jail," Maxi said.
"It shouldn't be taken lightly," Sladek said. "I want him to be behind bars. That's where he deserves to be."
But they say it'll be a while before they could even consider going on another shopping trip or, for Maxi, even school in person, again.
"I'm very traumatized of what happened, so it makes it hard for me to, like, wanna go out, and I just wanna stay inside now," Maxi said.
"I was praying all night, thank you God that she's alive," Sladek said.
Neither of them know exactly how many stitches and staples Maxi got, but are told by doctors that it'll be at least a week until they're removed.