Anthony Yates
Authorities arrested an armed man outside a shopping mall after he reportedly stabbed a mother. She was with her two-year-old child at the time.
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Per a report by KTLA, the mom was walking with her child outside the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park on August 21 at around 12:30 PM. A man, who police identified as 29-year-old Shayne Suffern, reportedly approached the woman and demanded, “Give me back my baby.”
Suffern reportedly pulled an AR-15 rifle out of his backpack and attempted to shoot at the woman, but the gun malfunctioned. The outlet explains that the mom started running with her child, who was in a stroller at the time. The suspect chased her and stabbed her in the right shoulder as she tried to get her 2-year-old out of the pram.
KTLA reveals that the mom managed to run into a Cheesecake Factory restaurant nearby. Suffern reportedly fled the scene after the stabbing. It remains unclear what happened before the attack, but a report by Patch suggests that the suspect and victim do not know each other.
Police Sergeant Says There Was A Threat To The Public Outside The Mall
Officers apprehended Suffern in a nearby parking lot shortly after the incident, per KTLA. A witness told the outlet, “The guy walked straight over to the cop car as if he knew that they were coming for him.” Authorities searched Suffern’s vehicle and found a knife, an assault rifle, magazines, and ammunition.
LAPD Sergeant Ryan Fox reportedly said Suffern “was mumbling incoherently and acting in an erratic manner.” He added, “The fact that there was an assault rifle recovered at the mall during the daytime. There was a threat to the public. There could have been other victims.”
CBS News explains that emergency services transported the mother to a hospital in a “fair condition.” The LAPD reportedly believes Suffern may have been suffering from mental health issues. The outlet reveals that Suffern has a criminal record. Police arrested him two years ago for possessing an assault weapon and firing it in public. His sentence was postponed on a mental health diversion, per KTLA.
Authorities are charging the suspect with attempted murder. His bail is set at $5.325 million.
