A mother and father of three are recovering after being stabbed during a home invasion, which police believe was a case of mistaken identity.
According to New South Wales police, the 41-year-old man and 37-year-old woman were at home in the Sydney, Australia, suburb of Guildford West with their children asleep when two armed men stormed through the front door wearing face coverings on Saturday, Aug. 30, around 11 p.m.
According to police, the man and woman were assaulted and repeatedly stabbed with a machete.
Their three children, all under the age of ten, were unharmed, according to police.
According to local outlets 7 News and 9 News, the 41-year-old father could be heard screaming “anybody help,” according to CCTV footage from a neighboring building, and neighbors rushed outside to assist.
“The neighbor’s outside screaming,” one bystander told 9 News. “There’s blood everywhere. We tried to help her, but the husband said, ‘I don’t know what happened.’ “
According to reports, several neighbors chased the two attackers into the street, where they fled in a getaway car parked outside the house. They were both dressed in black tops with hoods and white sneakers.
Police said a third person was driving the getaway car, a white sedan.
The couple was taken to a local hospital. Both are in stable condition, and the 41-year-old man is scheduled to have surgery for his injuries.
Police Superintendent Simon Glasser told the outlets that the two men were looking for different people during the targeted attack, but the intended target is still unknown.
“We believe they were looking for someone in particular and left when they were chased out,” Glass told 9 News. “However, the family involved have no criminal links, so we believe they were after somebody else.”
The police superintendent added that the couple’s neighbors were “very courageous,” but warned others to exercise caution in similar situations.
“Obviously, we want people to be cautious when they’re acting like that, but on occasions where people are being attacked, you need to do what you can do to assist,” Glass said, according to 7 News. “But if people aren’t in danger, we ask that people not approach and contact police.”
Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway.
“As inquiries continue, police are urging anyone with information about the matter — or was in the area at the time with any available dashcam/mobile phone footage — to contact Granville Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” spokespersons said.
