A horrific incident unfolded in New York on Wednesday when a man reportedly attacked his wife and stepdaughter, leaving them both injured.

According to the New York Daily News, 28-year-old Joshua Burnside is accused of assaulting his 31-year-old wife and her 12-year-old daughter in their Bronx residence. The altercation began with a domestic dispute, during which the woman grabbed a knife in an attempt to defend herself. However, Burnside allegedly overpowered her, using the knife to inflict wounds to her abdomen and slash her face.

The attack was witnessed by the young girl, who was subjected to further violence after her mother fled the apartment. Burnside reportedly turned the weapon on the child, stabbing her multiple times, and then drove a long screw into her skull with a hammer, as reported by the Daily News.

Authorities arrested Burnside without resistance. The mother was treated for minor injuries at a nearby hospital, while her daughter underwent surgery and is currently in critical condition. Remarkably, two other children, aged 2 and 5, who were present during the incident, were unharmed.

Police sources revealed that medical professionals initially found bruises on the girl’s head, which led to the discovery of the screw embedded in her brain.

“It was like four or five doors she [the mother] pounded on. We came outside and she was bleeding from her abdomen, so we were trying to figure out what was going on,” a neighbor told News12. “Then once she started saying that there were kids there, that’s why he was like, ‘Oh my God,’ you know, you’re here, the kids are up there, what’s going on?”

WNBC reported that Burnside suffered an injury to the wrist. He is facing charges of assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with Wednesday’s attack.

According to the New York Post, bloody fingerprints were seen on a sixth-floor door at the Bronx apartment building. The door was reportedly also dented at the bottom.

Burnside’s arraignment was scheduled for Friday.

[Feature Photo: Pixabay]