A judge ordered a man detained pending trial after prosecutors say he admitted to trying to kill a 9-year-old child by repeatedly stabbing the girl because she was being loud, leaving her critically injured in Beach Park.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 10:45 a.m. Thursday to the 38000 block of North Manor Avenue in Beach Park for a call of stabbing.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Ari Briskman said deputies arrived to find a nine-year-old child who was suffering from multiple stab wounds.
The Beach Park Fire Department responded and paramedics transported the child by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
Briskman said the girl’s injuries were described as critical and life-threatening.
Detectives learned the nine-year-old child’s mother is in a dating relationship with Demetrius Fisher, 30, of Beach Park.
Fisher lives in the Manor Avenue home with her and the child.
The child’s school called the mother Thursday morning to inquire why her child was not in attendance, Briskman said.
The mother returned to the Manor Avenue home to investigate and discovered Fisher exiting the home.
Briskman said Fisher ran away after seeing the woman, who then entered the home and discovered her critically injured child inside.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Ayah Elfarra said the mother called 911 screaming that her daughter had been stabbed.
Elfarra said the victim was lying on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood.
She had stab wounds to her bicep and abdomen as well as a long slash wound to her neck. The child also had defensive wounds on her hands.
The victim told police that Fisher punched her to the ground before stabbing her.
Deputies learned Fisher boarded a bus and was likely going to a nearby train station, Briskman said.
They located Fisher at the Waukegan Metra station and placed him under arrest.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and approved charges of attempted first-degree murder against Fisher.
Elfarra said Fisher told investigators that the child had been stomping around the home, causing him to “snap.”
Fisher said he went to the kitchen and put an oven mitt on his hand and used that same hand to grab a kitchen knife.
Fisher admitted he punched the child to the ground and used the knife to stab her multiple times.
The man told investigators he wore the oven mitt to not injure himself, Elfarra said.
Fisher said he intended to kill the child. Investigators told the man the victim was still alive and Fisher appeared visibly shocked.
He responded by saying, “Did you see her neck?” according to Elfarra.
Fisher appeared in First Appearance Court on Friday morning where Lake County Judge Raymond Collins ordered Fisher detained in the Lake County Jail pending a detention hearing after prosecutors filed a petition.
A detention hearing to determine whether Fisher, who is a convicted felon, would remain held in custody pending trial was held Friday afternoon.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Daly admitted eight photographs into evidence during the hearing. The photographs showed the victim’s injuries.
Daly said another child was in the home at the time of the attack, which occurred over two hours prior to the child being found critically injured on the floor by her mother.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak granted the state’s petition and remanded Fisher to the Lake County Jail pending trial.
“Our entire office is thinking about the child that is currently undergoing medical treatment. We will support the child and the family, and we are glad to hear that this defendant will be detained during the pendency of the case,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said after the detention hearing.
“We also want to thank the Sheriff’s Office for quickly arresting this dangerous defendant,” Rinehart said.
Fisher is scheduled to appear in court again on March 12 for a preliminary hearing.