The father of a five-year-old girl repeatedly stabbed in the city's west end is now charged with attempted murder.
Andrew Bruce Hill, 38, is in police custody pending a future court appearance. He was arrested at the scene.
Officers were called to Applegreen Grove around 6am Tuesday. The child was found with life-threatening injuries caused by numerous stab wounds and rushed to hospital. Police say she is now in stable condition in the pediatric unit and expected to survive. The motive for the stabbing is unclear and police have released little information.
Neighbours who awoke to police sirens in the west end suburb say they were shocked to see officers flooding the area.
"We never really have cops on this street. It's very quiet, nothing usually happens," says Nicole Chioros, who notes the parents who live at the home where the stabbing happened have four small children. "The kids seemed very happy. They were always using toys, playing chalk in the driveway... They moved in about a year ago. We only see the mom, I think she might be home schooling them. We just see them on the street playing, but we only see the mom, we've never seen the dad before. She will take them on walks, but she's not very social. She's never really talked to any of us before."
The door bell of the home next to the crime scene is covered in blood.
Officers from the LPS Major Crimes Section are investigating.
