Hero chef hospitalised after confronting knife attacker
A young chef is in hospital tonight after being stabbed in the stomach when he rushed to help a young woman who was being threatened with a knife.
Police are still hunting the offender and the weapon used in the vicious Friday night stabbing attack on Melbourne's Yarra Promenade, outside the Crown Casino.
Twenty-four-year-old pastry chef Luigi Spina had just finished work at Crown's Gradi Italian restaurant when he noticed a man with a knife harassing a woman.
He intervened to assist the woman before her attacker turned on the Italian national and stabbed him in the stomach around midnight.
Mr Spina received one stab wound to the left hand side of his torso, Detective Senior Constable Jon Amore told media Saturday morning.
Last night he was in intensive care at the Alfred Hospital and today his condition has improved to stable.
"There were people walking along, minding their own business and no one deserves to be set upon like that," Det Sr Const Jon Amore said.
"It's obviously a heroic act, seeing a female in distress. I assume he's tried to do the right thing by stepping in.
"We can only thank him for his efforts, but it hasn't worked out how its wanted to for all parties."
Marina Hohmann saw the man pestering other women an hour before the attack.
"There was this man he was crossing the street and he was walking straight to a woman and he was looking to her face and he was going near to her, like this distance," she told 7 News.
Police are sure many people would have seen the man both before and after the attack near the popular Southbank strip and urged anyone with information to come forward and speak with detectives.
Investigators are also urging the woman who was assaulted to come forward, as well as two other men they believe were assaulted before to the stabbing.
Detectives are reviewing security footage of the incident.
The offender's description is limited but detectives said he had a stocky build, was around 180 centimetres tall, wearing a black and white cap, white T-shirt and white runners.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.
