Kyra Payne was sleeping soundly around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday when she was woken up by the sound of someone furiously banging the front door, screaming for help.
The 12-year-old looked out and saw one of her neighbours standing outside holding something. She quickly opened the door to let her in before realizing what it was in her arms — a wounded baby wearing only a diaper and covered in blood.
“She said ‘My boyfriend went crazy and he’s trying to kill us,’ Kyra remembered, standing in the same doorway where the scene played out only hours before.
Kyra let her neighbour, the baby and another small child into the house before quickly closing the door and locking it behind them.
Then she shouted for her mom.
“[Kyra] screamed my name and said ‘Someone is trying to kill somebody. That’s when I ran down, real fast,” said Tara Young, her hand resting on the 12-year-old’s shoulder.
“I come down and in my living room standing there is a female with a blood-covered baby, covered in cuts and another child and she’s screaming for me to call 911.”
Baby not crying, just wanting comfort
The family made the call and emergency crews were on home near Rymal Road East and Trinity Church Road a short time later.
Paramedics say the baby girl was 22-months-old, and that her injuries were serious, but she’s expected to survive. She is currently in stable condition.
Police have not said how the child was hurt, but Young said the wounds appeared to be cuts from a knife.
“I just did what I had to do, tried to stop the bleeding on the baby, called 911,” she explained, adding the baby “wasn’t crying or anything, she was just wanting comfort.”
Meanwhile, police say a 16-year-old boy barricaded himself in the home. What followed was a standoff that lasted nearly eight hours before officers forced their way into the home to take the teen safely taken into custody around 11:30 a.m.
He was then transported to hospital.
“Due to the fact he was in the residence for a long period of time and his behaviour has been characterized as unusual we thought it best to have him taken to hospital for examination,” said Const. Jerome Stewart.
HPS has safely secured a barricaded 16-year-old male. Police will remain in the area as we continue to investigate. Roads will be reopened soon in <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/HamOnt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#HamOnt</a>. Thanks to everyone for their patience as we dealt with the situation. He has been transported to hospital for examination.
—@HamiltonPolice
Because of the teen’s age, investigators have not released his identity or provided any details about how he knew the people living in the home where the attack happened.
Stewart would only say he is “known to the family.”
Police allege the teen used a weapon to assault the child, and Stewart said charges are pending, but the investigation is in its early stages so it’s not totally clear what they might be.
“We know a child was injured so there will be some sort of assault-related charge,” said Stewart.
Police searched the home and say they found the family’s dog dead. They believe the teen is the person who killed it.
Anytime someone barricades themselves into a home they’re in need of help, said Stewart, explaining the police response included an incident commander, crisis negotiators and tactical officers.
“The key pieces were obviously getting medical attention to the toddler then securing the male safely,” he said, adding the fact a baby was hurt in the attack is “always alarming to the community and as well to police.”
‘I’m sick to my stomach’
Young said the people in the house where the incident happened had only started renting it a few months ago.
The house was home to a woman, who is the mother of the baby, the little girl who was injured, a child about three years old and the woman’s 15-year-old sister, according to their neighbour.
It’s not clear where the baby’s mother was during the attack or the standoff that followed.
Kyra said she had played with the two younger children and their dog before, but it was the mother’s sister who was running around barefoot in the snow and knocked on their door that night.
The teen didn’t appear to be injured, but she was in shock, said Young.
“She was just in extreme panic trying to keep those kids safe.”
Young said she’s proud her daughter acted so quickly, but the family is still reeling after what happened.
“I still feel sick to my stomach,” said Kyra.
“It was scary,” added her mom.
