MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) — Two young sisters in the hospital after Memphis police say their uncle stabbed them. Their mother was also stabbed. It happened Thursday afternoon after 4:30pm in a southeast Memphis apartment complex. The seven and eight year old girls were taken to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in critical condition but have been upgraded to non-critical. Their mother was taken to The MED.
"It's the worst thing I've ever seen in my life, worse than a horror movie. The worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life and I'll never forget it,” said a neighbor Shun Bowdry.
The girls' grandmother called 911 from the Eastwood Park Apartments on Getwell Road near Knight Arnold. The uncle lives with his mother and nieces in the apartment. Investigators say the stabbing happened after a family argument.
"The seven year old wasn't even moving or anything, just blood everywhere,” Bowdry told abc24.com.
Memphis police say the 32-year-old uncle has a history of mental problems; he is currently in jail. According to neighbors, he should've been locked up months ago. Neighbors say they've called police about the man several times. They claim he's said sexually inappropriate things to children.
"He asked a 7 year old boy could he pull his pants down so he could you know and that's when the whole neighborhood we called the cops on him and the cops said they couldn’t do anything unless they actually caught him doing something," said Bowdry.
Now he's accused of stabbing a family.
"I'm very angry. I feel very angry because it could've been my child or anybody's child when we've been complaining and calling the cops on this guy. Now we have 2 kids who possibly could be dead,” stated Bowdry.
The suspect was later identified as 32-year-old Benito Martinez. He is charged with three counts of Aggravated Assault and is being held without bond at the Shelby County Jail. His first court appearance is scheduled for June 18.
