7-year-old girl kicks suspect, breaks free after he attacks her with knife at Detroit park

By Tiarra Braddock

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    DETROIT, Michigan (WXYZ) — A 7-year-old girl is recovering after a man attacked her with a knife at a park in Detroit earlier this week.

Detroit Police said the incident happened on Tuesday around 3:45 p.m. at Ryan Park near Greenview and Kirkwood avenues.

Saida M. spoke to 7 News Detroit about the attack with permission from her mother.

Saida, who was with a family member at the park, was playing when a man approached and randomly attacked her.

“I was playing on a spinning thing that was green … and I was playing … and then I saw like a man, and I said, like, hi to him. And he … was coming towards me, and he was … walking to me like that. And one hand was nothing. And he just put my head up. The other thing was a pocket knife. And then he just slide the knife on my throat,” said Saida. “I kicked his legs medium hard.”

Police said that’s when Saida screamed for help and ran.

“She did what she should have done,” said Detroit Police Cmdr. Vernal Newson.

Neighbors heard the screaming and ran out to help in any way they could.

“I just immediately … grabbed some gauze pads, and put them on her … to help her and help her stop bleeding,” said Donna Mockbil. “She goes, ‘oh I’m going to die and nobody is going to be here with me,’ and I started getting tears in my eyes.”

Donna’s son also jumped into help, following the suspect until he was apprehended.

The suspect is 73 years old and was taken into custody without incident, according to Detroit police. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office has since charged Gary Lanksy with Assault with Intent to Murder and Felonious Assault in the case.

Police do not believe this was a hate crime. They say they believe the suspect was experiencing a mental crisis at the time of the attack.

“In my 40 years of policing … mental health has become one of the forefront issues in our community,” said Newson.

Saida was given stitches at the hospital and released. She’s now recovering at home.

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