Police are looking for a man they say walked into a 24-hour Bronx laundromat in the middle of the night last week and, while trying to steal cash from the register, stabbed a 37-year-old woman working there multiple times in the head, face and body.
Surveillance video of the 3 a.m. Friday attack shows the chaos unfold, with one man seen arguing with another person, potentially the female employee. Then another man is seen rummaging underneath a desk area before two men appear to be scuffling.
Eventually, a laundry cart enters the fray. The female victim, who doesn’t usually work the overnight shift at the shop on Boston Road but offered to help out, saw the customer in the laundromat and gave him free soap to wash his clothes. But moments later, he pulled a knife and attacked.
The woman's husband said she called him after the attack, and he came running — finding blood all over the floor and immediately said a prayer that his wife would not die.
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"I said 'Please God, I need my wife. I need my wife,'" said the husband, who did not want to be identified.
After getting slashed in her face and ear, and having her finger severed, a Good Samaritan ran to help, but was also stabbed by the suspect. Cops said the 45-year-old male customer was stabbed in the hand.
Both victims were taken to a hospital and are expected to be OK.
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The worker had surgery on Wednesday where doctors tried to reattach one of her fingers, and may require more procedures in the future. The woman's parents rushed to the Bronx from Mexico, fearing their daughter might not survive. A friend of the woman said that she has not been sleeping in the wake of the attack.
"She said she’s doing really bad because she gets up at 3, 3:30 in the morning — she has like nightmares and stuff she can’t sleep," the friend said.
The suspect ran off after the attack. He didn't steal anything.
Police released footage in hopes someone can identify him and help cops make an arrest. Investigators posted fliers and canvassed for video as they hunted for the suspect.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
