16-month-old boy stabbed to death at Lewisville apartment complex

LEWISVILLE, Texas - Police in Lewisville say neighbors tried but failed to save the life of a little boy who was being stabbed by his own father.

The 16-month-old was attacked just before 1 p.m. Sunday at the Oak Forest Apartments, which is near Business Highway 121 and Bellaire Drive.

Witnesses told police they heard yelling and then saw a man carrying a baby into the courtyard. They said he was saying things like, “Jesus is coming.” He also shouted for people to come out of their apartments to watch.

One woman reportedly threw a trash can from her balcony to try to stop the attack. Another neighbor shot the father in the leg and did stop him. However, police said the child died at the hospital.

The 27-year-old father was arrested and taken to the hospital for his gunshot wound. His name has not yet been released.

Police said the child’s mother was not home at the time. They said the family had no prior history with police or Child Protective Services.

A captain with 20 years of police experience said this is one of the most horrific things he’s seen in his career.

“For them to witness something like that, I feel for them, you know. They had to endure the same thing the police and firefighters had to endure this afternoon to see that small baby get assaulted,” Capt. Jesse Hunter said.

First responders have already received immediate counseling as a result of the incident. It is what police call critical incident stress management briefing.