A mother is facing charges after allegedly slashing the throats of her two young children with a razor and then leaving them to turn herself in to the police, police said.
Shanice Martin, 24, showed up at a police precinct in the Bronx covered in blood to confess to the crime, police said, according to NBC New York.
At the time, Martin had a razor on her, which police have taken into evidence as the potential weapon.
New Video: @NYPD42Pct and @FDNY rush to help 6 year old boy and his 2 year old sister allegedly stabbed and abandoned by their mother at Bronx construction site. They’re doing ok. Mom, Shanice Martin, left them to turn herself into police. @PIX11News pic.twitter.com/EbO3eXMZCr
— Anthony DiLorenzo (@ADiLorenzoTV) April 29, 2019
On Saturday, April 27, police responded to reports of two wounded abandoned children. Police found the children, a 2-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy, with slashes to their throats.
The children were taken to a local hospital and treated.
The boy suffered cuts so deep they went from ear to ear, police said. While both children suffered serious injuries, they are both expected to live.
Both children are said to be in stable condition at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, according to Pix11.
Bronx mom allegedly stabbed 2-year-old girl, 6-year-old boy https://t.co/Y3rIHjMh4c pic.twitter.com/yJJaSuG2No
— PIX11 News (@PIX11News) April 29, 2019
As of Sunday, April 28, Martin was undergoing psychiatric evaluations at a local hospital.
The mother is facing a slew of charges, including assault, abandonment, child endangerment, and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
Her family told ABC 13 Martin and the children were living in and out of shelters. They said when she tried to get into one on Saturday night, she was unable to and became upset. At the time, she called her mother about the situation.
UPDATE: Shanice Martin, 24, arrested and charged after she slashed her 2-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son, according to the NYPD. Both are in stable condition. https://t.co/qwf9Ammjl5
— New York City 911 (@NYC_Alerts911) April 29, 2019
An hour later, locals spotted the children in the street with slash wounds and notified the NYPD.
“She was a good mom, but I guess she was going through something,” her brother told ABC 13.
He added that even if she was going through something, her actions were unacceptable.
“That’s not something that you do to your kids. I don’t care what’s going on with you, you can ask for help. She just took it upon herself to do what she wanted to do and it’s not good,” he told ABC 13.
I spoke with the family of Shanice Martin who are devastated after she stabbed her two children. I’ll have the full interview with them on @News12BX tonight at 7. pic.twitter.com/o3CRuqWBFy
— Alexa Farrell (@AlexaNFarrell) April 29, 2019
The Administration for Children’s Services said it had taken the appropriate steps to ensure the safety of the children, according to NBC New York. The agency added that it was working with the NYPD on the investigation.
“Our top priority is protecting the safety and wellbeing of all children in New York City,” the agency said in a statement.
Bronx | Morrisania | Brook Ave and Washington Ave.
Crime scene being established after 2 children were found with lacerations to their necks and abdomen.— New York City 911 (@NYC_Alerts911) April 28, 2019
High Crime Rates in the Bronx
The Bronx has a considerably higher crime rate than the national average across all communities in America, with a 1 in 33 chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime, according to Neighborhood Scout.
The Bronx has one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation, with a 1 in 102 chance of becoming a victim. There is also a higher chance of becoming a victim of property crime at 1 in 49.
Based on FBI data obtained by the site, the Bronx is not one of the safest communities in America, especially considering that relative to New York, the Bronx has a crime rate “that is higher than 94 percent of the state’s cities and towns of all sizes.”
