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A GIRL is “lucky’’ her stab wound was not more serious after she was knifed in a “callous’’ attack during a robbery at Blacktown last night, police say.
The 14-year-old was walking with a 15-year-old boy along Swinson Rd about 8.30pm when the attack took place outside the Swinson Gardens complex.
Police allege the pair was confronted and threatened by a man described as Pacific Islander or Maori who demanded the girl’s pink Lonsdale backpack.
During a scuffle the girl suffered a stab wound to her upper back and her backpack was stolen.
Resident and father-of-two Billy Bray, 22, raced outside after hearing a scream.
“There was a lady on the ground and another guy over the top of her with a knife and then I chased him down the street ... all the way up around the corner to Bungarabiee — I didn’t want to get stabbed that's why I stopped.
“I couldn't see him ... he was running in the darkness.â€
He then returned to his Swinson Rd home, grabbed his bike to try and find the knife while his friend stayed with the victim.
He said he had never witnessed anything like that before.
“I thought it was my missus. It could have been my kids or anything. It could have been anyone,’’ he said.
Swinson Gardens resident Bhumi Patel said she no longer felt her family was safe.
“It’s terrible news for us. We have got so many kids around this complex.
“People are often walking around late at night, coming from the station to their houses and its not safe.
“I have got two kids — one is five-and-a-half and one is two-and-a-half. The older one is in school and she used to walk through the school alone but not now. I’m not sure I can let her go alone now, I don’t feel safe.
“I have never experienced this kind of thing before.
“We have seen people roaming around here before but nothing like this has ever happened,†Mrs Patel said.
CCTV footage was captured from the Swinson Gardens townhouse estate strata management but a tree obstructed the offender who was only seen fleeing the scene.
Det-Insp Tickner said the attack was random.
“We have a male offender who has taken two children in the street so it’s fairly callous,’’ he said.
“It is concerning but it is a very random act.
“We haven’t had any similar reports of that nature in the area for a long time.
“We’re not saying that the streets around here aren’t safe. It’s a one-off at this stage.
“There’s certainly no pattern.’’
Detective Inspector Paul Tickner said the girl was lucky her injuries weren’t worse.
“She’s very lucky. That stab wound has gone in a couple of centimetres and it’s fairly wide. Had it not gone in where it went in it could have been very serious.
“It’s ... on the upper back where you have the ribs and on the right hand side there.
“The angle of the wound was an upwards type motion rather than straight in.
“It’s hard to say whether it was deliberate. There was a bit of a struggle taking place but we’re going to speak to the girl when she’s released from hospital to take that further.’’
Det-Insp Tickner said residents chased the offender after hearing screaming during the scuffle.
“They’ve come out to see what was happening and they’ve obviously shown a bit of bravery chasing him down there,’’ he said.
“Whether they knew he was armed with a knife, I don’t know. They chased him a couple of streets until he started to evade them.’’
The offender is described as being Pacific Islander or Maori in appearance with a thick, bushy black beard and a large build.
The bag contained a small amount of money.
Det-Insp Tickner advised the public not to walk alone in the dark and encouraged parents to drive their children where possible.
He said the girl received stitches to her wound and is recovering in The Children’s Hospital at Westmead with non-life-threatening injuries.
Det Insp said it did not appear the offender, who was last seen wearing dark clothing, followed the pair.
Detectives plan to speak to the “shaken’’ 15-year-old boy today, whose evidence was “crucial’’ to the investigation.
They are urging anyone with information to call Crime
Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.