Kenisha Thomas (pictured), the Baltimore Mother accused of stabbing her 8-month-old daughter five times during a visit to the Department of Social Services (DSS), was charged Thursday with attempted first-degree murder, child abuse and assault, reports WBAL-TV.
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The attack happened on Tuesday morning, when Thomas visited DDS to have a supervised visit with her baby, Pretty Diamond. who had been removed from her care.
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Officials would not give a reason as to why the state took the baby away from Thomas, but according to witnesses at the DSS office, the 29-year-old woman was not happy with her child’s care and felt she could to do a better job. When social worker Dana Hayes told Thomas that her hour visitation had ended, she reportedly became enraged and said, “It’s about to be over!” She then reportedly fumbled through her purse, frantically looking for something and wound up pulling out a long kitchen knife. Court documents then state that Thomas began stabbing her baby. Hayes then frantically ran from the office screaming for help.
Watch Pretty Diamond’s stabbing here:
Hayes co-worker William Purnell Short III heard Hayes’ cries and offered to help save the baby. The 23-year veteran ran into the office where he witnessed Thomas wielding the knife, but by that time, the child had been stabbed a total of five times in the head, neck and chest. He then saw Thomas place the knife to the baby’s throat as she stated, “I’m going to kill her!”
Short acted quickly and threw chairs at the Mom’s face, which prompted her to release her child. Pretty Diamond fell to the floor with the knife still lodged in her throat. Short’s heroic deed didn’t stop with the throwing of the chairs. He also grabbed Thomas, wrestled her to the ground, and held her until police arrived even though she dug her teeth into his hand and refused to let go.
After Thomas was restrained, she was reportedly quoted as saying, “Lock me up! If I can’t have her, nobody will!”
Investigators are now trying to determine how Thomas was able to bring the knife onto the DDS premises in the first place. Patrick Moran, the director of AFSCME Maryland, says Thomas’s purse should have been searched and that she should have passed through a metal detector, according to WBAL-TV.
While Thomas is being held without bail and will also receive a psychiatric evaluation, miraculously, Pretty Diamond is reported in good condition and is being treated at a local hospital.
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