Parents taking precautions after young girl stabbed at play area inside northeast El Paso McDonald’s

EL PASO, Texas -- A random act of violence against a 5-year-old inside a northeast El Paso McDonald's is affecting parents who would normally take their children to the play area inside the restaurant.

Parents visiting that McDonald's at 9461 Dyer Street say they will either take extreme precautions while their child is playing, or not take them to the play area altogether.

“Well, I’m just gonna take her for a Happy Meal real quick. I’m not gonna stay there, just go in and out,” said Joe Arriola, while holding his 2-year-old son.

After Tuesday’s stabbing of a little girl, Arriola and other fathers, like Cody Caudill, are angry, but scratching their heads.

“Ugh, when you come to a place like this, especially when you’re with your kids, you’re just worried about getting them a Happy Meal, whatever, playing having fun. And when I heard about it just today, it’s just, it’s just, I don’t know. I’m just in awe,” said Caudill.

Police are not releasing the name of the little girl just yet, but they say 25- year-old Isaac Dorfman walked into the play area inside the McDonald's where the girl was playing, waited for her to come down a slide, then allegedly stabbed her.

Dorfman was arrested a short time later inside room 146 at the nearby Super Lodge motel.

Parents want to know what the motive was behind the stabbing. So far, police say it appears to have been a random act.

“Why would some guy come, try to take some little girl’s life when she’s barely beginning her life. It’s pretty messed up for him doing that,” said Arriola.

A spokesman with University Medical Center, where the little girl underwent surgery after the attack, told ABC-7 that she is in serious but stable condition.

Dorfman was booked into the El Paso County jail downtown, with bond set at $500,000.