A doctor at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh was fatally stabbed and his wife was critically wounded after a man allegedly broke into their Pennsylvania home and attacked them as they slept early Thursday, police said.
Dr. Idris Evans, 46, died in the attack at his home in Edgewood, according to the Allegheny County Police Department.
His wife was in critical but stable condition Thursday, police told News Media.
Allegheny County 9-1-1 received a report of a stabbing in the 100 block of Linden Avenue at 12:31 a.m. Responding officers and medical personnel found Evans and his wife with multiple stab wounds, police said.
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, where Dr. Idris Evans worked as a pediatric critical care physician. (Google Maps)
Evans was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His wife was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Police identified the suspect as 32-year-old Elijah Hemingway of Pittsburgh.
Based on witness interviews, detectives determined that Hemingway allegedly entered the home and attacked Evans and his wife while they were in bed, police said.
Evans’ wife told investigators that the couple awoke to a man attacking them with a kitchen knife, according to court documents obtained by KDKA reported. She said the attacker was wearing only underwear and made statements about “being God,” the outlet reported.
Allegheny County police are investigating the stabbing death of Dr. Idris Evans in Edgewood, Pa. (iStock)
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During the assault, Evans’ wife shouted for the couple’s children, ages 8 and 12, to leave the house and go to a neighbor’s home, according to KDKA.
She also told investigators that Evans called the attacker “Elijah,” suggesting that he may have known him, according to the outlet.
“We do not know if there was any pre-existing relationship,” Allegheny County Assistant Superintendent Victor Joseph said, according to KDKA. “The woman did not know this male. We are trying to determine if the two males knew each other.”
A K-9 team from the Monroeville Police Department searching the neighborhood found Hemingway behind a nearby home with cuts on his hand, county police said. He remained hospitalized Thursday while awaiting transfer to the Allegheny County Jail, police told News Media.
Hemingway faces charges that include criminal homicide, aggravated assault, burglary and criminal trespass, police said. No changes to the charges had been announced Thursday, police told News Media.
A Pittsburgh children’s hospital doctor was stabbed to death and his wife critically injured after a man allegedly entered their home and attacked the couple. (Robert Knopes/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, File)
Investigators have not disclosed a motive. Police told News Media that they were still examining both a possible motive and whether Hemingway and Evans knew each other.
Evans served as medical director of the Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and was an assistant professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, according to his university profile.
“The UPMC and University of Pittsburgh community is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Dr. Idris Evans, a pediatric critical care physician at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and an assistant professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh,” a UPMC spokesperson told News Media in a statement.
“Dr. Evans was a dedicated caregiver and valued member of our hospital and university communities. Our thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and colleagues during this difficult time. We ask that their privacy be respected.”