Neighbour Davey Holland, 40, said he forced entry into the property on First Avenue in Dagenham after getting a knock at the door by the ‘blood-soaked’ mother on Friday evening
A hero neighbour smashed a window to break into a home and save a toddler after his “blood-soaked” mum begged for help at his front door.
Police were called to First Avenue in Dagenham at around 5.30pm on Friday evening following a frenzied knife attack. A woman, in her 30s, and two children – a girl believed to be aged eight and a boy believed aged two – were found suffering stab injuries. All three victims were rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.
The two-year-old boy is reportedly in a serious condition while a man in his 40s was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. It has now emerged that neighbour Davey Holland, 40, forced entry into the property after the boy’s mother banged on his door to plead for help.
The dad-of-six told The Sun: “The mum knocked at my door. It was horrible. She was saying there’s a baby in the house, please help him.” He said he smashed a window, passing by the suspect who was being treated by an off-duty police officer, to get to the toddler.
Mick Aransibia, 63, a builder who lives on the street said the whole street was “lit up with blue lights” after the incident. Another witness told the publication: “About 5.30pm I heard shouting – I looked out of the window and I saw a lady covered in blood.
“She was very distraught, she was with a little girl. It’s shocking – it’s not something that happens in this area. Kids literally play outside in the street, that’s how safe it is. I look at it as a personal tragedy – but it’s so sad.”
A further witness, referring to the arrest, said: “He came out of the house and locked the door so no one could get in.. The police arrived pretty quickly, and he was arrested outside.” Aerial images from the scene captured a huge emergency services response, with at least eight police cars lining up and down the residential street. A rapid response vehicle was also reportedly deployed by London’s Air Ambulance.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, responsible for policing in Barking and Dagenham, said: “This is a truly shocking attack and I want to thank local residents for their assistance and patience while we deal with this incident. At this early stage, we believe those involved were known to each other and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.
“A crime scene will remain in place for some time while our officers carry out vital work and you will see an increased policing presence in the area over the coming days. If you have any concerns or information that could assist police then please speak to an officer or call police on 101.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 5.35pm today (Friday 25 October) to reports of an incident in First Avenue, Dagenham. We sent a number of resources to the scene including four ambulance crews, medics in fast response cars and advanced paramedics.
“We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance. We treated four people at the scene. We took one person to hospital and three to a major trauma centre as a priority.” Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD5931/25Oct. You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
