Mom Stabbed After Stranger Allegedly Tried to Snatch Her Toddler Outside a California Mall By Toria Sheffield

A mother was stabbed after a man allegedly attempted to snatch her 2-year-old child outside a mall in California.

The mother — who has not been named publicly — was walking with her toddler outside the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park at around 12:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, Aug. 21, when the alleged incident occurred, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), per KTLA 5, CBS News and NBC Los Angeles.

The suspect — who has since been identified as Shayne Suffern, 29 — allegedly approached the victim and said, “Give me back my baby,” KTLA 5 reported.

The man then allegedly opened up a backpack and pulled out an AR-15 rifle, attempting to fire at the woman, but the gun jammed. She then began to run with her baby, according to KTLA 5 and CBS News.

Suffern allegedly chased the woman and proceeded to stab her in the shoulder. She then ran into a nearby Cheesecake Factory, where she managed to get help. The suspect, meanwhile, escaped the scene in a vehicle, per both outlets.

Authorities were called, and Suffern was located and arrested by LAPD officers shortly after the incident, KTLA 5 and CBS News reported. Police said they found an assault rifle in Suffern’s car, along with ammunition and a knife, per the outlets.

Suffern was charged with attempted murder, and his next scheduled court date is Aug. 25, according to KTLA 5. His bail has been set at $5,250,000, Los Angeles County public booking recordsshow.

The victim was transported to a local hospital, where the LAPD said she was in fair condition, per CBS News. They also said she had no apparent connection to the suspect.

PEOPLE reached out to the LAPD for comment on Sunday, Aug. 24, but did not receive an immediate response.

In an interview with NBC Los Angeles, the suspect’s father said his son is an army veteran with a history of mental illness. 

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“Me and my wife, we sort of felt that it was a matter of time before we got this call,” he told the outlet. “Hopefully, it wasn’t the call where he had been unalive. We’ve been seeking help since day 1 after he got discharged.”

The father also relayed a message to the woman who was attacked, saying, “I’m just praying for your speedy recovery. I am so sorry and ashamed of what has happened.”

He added, “I’m just beside myself.”