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Three newborn babies stabbed in horrific attack at daycare centre


A woman is being questioned after stabbing five people, including three newborn babies, before slashing her wrist at an unlicensed childcare centre.

The woman, 52, is now being questioned and undergoing psychiatric examination following the attack on Friday about 4am local time, police said. She’s an employee at an unlicensed neighbourhood nursery being operated out of a New York City home.

All of the victims in the attack were hospitalised but are expected to survive.

No immediate charges were filed, and police said the motive was under investigation.

Investigators on the scene at the unlicensed childcare centre in Queens, New York, which was being run as an unlicensed childcare centre. Three babies were stabbed. Source: Getty Images
Investigators on the scene at the unlicensed childcare centre in Queens, New York, which was being run as an unlicensed childcare centre. Three babies were stabbed. Source: Getty Images

Investigators were trying to piece together what happened inside the building; a three-storey, multifamily townhouse in a neighbourhood popular with Chinese immigrants in the Flushing section of Queens.

Nine babies were at the centre during the attack, the district attorney’s office said.

“This is every parent’s worst nightmare imaginable,” state Assemblyman Ron Kim said. He said the nursery had apparently been operating for more than 10 years.

Police responding to a 911 call discovered a three-day-old girl and a one-month-old girl who had been stabbed in the abdomen, and a 20-day-old girl with cuts on her ear, chin and lip.

The father of one of the children and a woman who worked there were also stabbed, police said.

A butcher knife and meat cleaver were found at the scene.

The woman suspected in the attack was discovered bleeding and unconscious in the basement, and after officers applied a tourniquet, she regained consciousness and was taken to the hospital, police said.

Investigators on the scene at the unlicensed childcare centre in Queens, New York, which was being run as an unlicensed childcare centre. Three babies were stabbed. Source: Getty Images
A business known as Mei Xin Care Inc was being run out of the address. Source: Getty Images

“We pray that all of the victims will be fine and will survive these injuries,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.

“We are hoping these young babies — small and so very fragile — are also strong enough to overcome this horrible act of senseless violence.”

State records indicate that a business called Mei Xin Care Inc. was registered at the address, but there was no listed phone number for that company.