Angry Mom Chases Down Man Who Slashed Her Daughter With Box Cutter & She’s Our Hero
(Barry Williams for New York Daily News; Courtesy of Malgorzata Sladek)
In a harrowing incident in East Harlem, the mother of an 11-year-old girl pursued the assailant who attacked her daughter with a box cutter. The incident occurred on a bustling street when Malgorzata Sladek and her daughter, Maxi, were confronted by Shaquan Cummings.
According to the police, Cummings, a stranger to both the mother and daughter, aggressively approached and struck Maxi with the box cutter, severely injuring her by cutting through her long black hair and slashing the back of her head.
Reacting to the sudden violence, Cummings fled the scene, running toward a nearby No. 6 subway station located at E.116th St. and Lexington Ave. Despite the shock and distress, Sladek was determined not to let the attacker escape without consequences.
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing Cummings throw the bloodied box cutter onto the subway tracks in a desperate attempt to discard the weapon. He then tried to board an awaiting train, but the quick response of Sladek, who began yelling and drawing attention to him, thwarted his attempt to flee.
“It sounded like he punched her in the head,” Sladek, 46, told the Daily News Saturday. “I didn’t know it was a knife until I turned around and I saw her hair lying on the floor and the blood pouring. Blood is like coming out of a sink. I thought she was going to bleed to death.”
“He looked at me and he was coming towards me,” she recalled. “I wasn’t sure if he was going to stab me or what was going to happen.” “I just went and chased after him,” she recalled. “I didn’t care. I had bags with me. I said, ‘I’m chasing after him. I won’t let him get away.’”
“I started screaming, ‘Stop the train! Stop the train!’ And the conductor stopped the train,” she recalled. “I came out of the train and at that point, I saw him being mobbed by police and by people,” Sladek recalled.
“She said she doesn’t want to go back to school. She said she doesn’t want to go outside, walk outside,” said Sladek who lives in Brooklyn. “She says, ‘Mommy, I’m not going anywhere. Please don’t let me out of the house. I don’t want to go outside.’
Unable to escape via the train, Cummings made a risky move by jumping onto the subway tracks. He crossed over to the opposite platform and tried to exit back to the street. However, an impromptu gathering of over a dozen bystanders, who had witnessed the event or been alerted by Sladek’s cries, converged upon Cummings as he re-emerged onto the street.
A tense moment unfolded as the crowd encircled the attacker, with the police arriving just in time to prevent any further violence. One witness was even seen prodding at Cummings with a gray medical cane as police worked to hold back the crowd.
The police were able to recover the box cutter from the tracks and subsequently arrested Cummings. He faced multiple charges, including assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and weapons possession, and was held without bail following his court arraignment.
The motive behind Cummings’ sudden attack remains unclear, although it was noted that he had been involved in an argument with another adult shortly before turning his aggression towards Maxi. The incident has left Maxi severely traumatized. Previously enjoying outdoor activities and shopping trips, she now struggles with the aftermath of the attack.
The community and her family are rallying to support her through this difficult recovery. This event not only highlights the swift and courageous response of a mother protecting her child but also the broader community’s role in ensuring public safety and responding to violence.
