Baby Stabbed To Death In Lewisville Identified; Police To Charge Father
LEWISVILLE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - The 16-month-old victim in Sunday's deadly stabbing at a Lewisville apartment complex has been identified as Ashton Ness. Police believe his father killed him.
Several people who live at the Oak Forest Apartments said they witnessed the horrific act, including James Ellis and his girlfriend Jolyn Zapatos.
Monday afternoon they left a stuffed bear where they said Ness was stabbed to death by his father just before 1:00 p.m. Sunday.
"He came down the steps right here and he had the baby in his arms and as he got 10 to 15 yards down he slammed him to the concrete," Ellis said.
"Like some kind of trash or something," Zapatos said. "Kneeled down, grabbed his knife, small knife, and started stabbing the little boy."
Lewisville police said the father was screaming "Jesus is coming." Ellis said he called 911 and as he waited for police, another man shot the suspect in the leg from his balcony debilitating him.
"I'm glad he stepped in," Ellis said.
"After that police showed up and took him down," Oak Forest resident Anthony King said.
King said he's still shaken up after what he saw Sunday.
"I still can't get the picture of the baby just laying there," he said. "It's crazy. It's like man you don't picture this happening right here in your neighborhood."
Police said the father had no prior criminal history or Child Protective Services involvement. They're not identifying him until he's released from the hospital.
They report he's being treated for his injuries and will be booked into jail at the earliest Tuesday.
Police said the mother of the child was at work when the stabbing happened.
Austin Andrew, the man who says he shot the father Sunday, told CBS11 in a statement, "I was sitting on my couch and heard people shouting outside. I opened up my blinds and I saw a man next to a child on the ground. He stabbed the child with a knife, so I grabbed my gun and went out onto my balcony. He walked away and was heading back towards the kid. I yelled at him to stop and he didn't so I shot three rounds at him. He dropped to his knees and asked to be shot again. The police arrived on the scene and put him in handcuffs. My heart goes out to the mom of the child. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose one of my kids."