Parents Of 13-Year-Old Mall Stabbing Victim Want Suspect 'Off The Streets'
REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA.com) — The parents of a 13-year-old boy who was repeatedly stabbed inside a Redondo Beach mall last December are worried their family—and the community—isn't safe with the attacker still on the loose.
"I don't know if this guy knows where we live…if he's just waiting for us to leave the house again," said the victim's mother, Maria. "I want this person off the streets. There is so much anger towards this person. No one deserves this."
The attack happened around 7:20 p.m. Dec. 29 on the third level of the South Bay Galleria.
Police said the suspect walked up to the boy and his 13-year-old female classmate and stabbed them both in the chest multiple times with a kitchen knife.
"It punctured his heart. It punctured his lung," said Rich, the boy's father.
The teen had open heart surgery and a second procedure for an infection.
Maria said she gives her son, who has missed a month of school, around-the-clock antibiotics.
The victim's parents told CBS2's Kristine Lazar that they hope a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect will bring in new leads.
Police recently released a sketch and surveillance video of the assailant.
"We can hug and kiss and tell our son how much we love him and how proud we are of him, but if this perpetrator goes out and attacks again, the next victim might not be as fortunate as we were, in a sense," said Rich.
Rich and Maria are ultimately grateful their son and his friend survived the stabbing, which they felt was meant to be a murder.
Rich said, "I would want to know why he would perform such a cowardly, low-life, heartless, gutless act."
Authorities described the suspect as a black man in his 40s, who is possibly bald, with a beard and mustache. He is tall with a medium build.
The suspect was wearing prescription glasses, a beanie, a green and brown fatigue-type jacket, blue jeans, and a black t-shirt.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Redondo Beach Police Department tip line at (310) 937-6685. Text messages can be sent to (310) 339-2362.
RELATED STORIES:
$25K Reward Offered In Stabbing Of 2 Teens At South Bay Mall
Redondo Beach Police Release Sketch Of Galleria Stabbing Suspect
