"The family involved have no criminal links, so we believe they were after somebody else," police stated about the two attackers. ...
"The family involved have no criminal links, so we believe they were after somebody else," police stated about the two attackers.
A mother and father of three are recovering after being stabbed during a home invasion, which authorities think 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 authorities, the man and lady were beaten and repeatedly stabbed with a machete.
Their three children, all under the age of ten, were unharmed, according to authorities.
According to local stations 7 News and 9 News, the 41-year-old father could be heard yelling "anybody help," according to CCTV footage from an adjacent building, and neighbors came outside to assist.
"The neighbor's outside screaming," one bystander told 9 News. "There's blood everywhere. We tried to help her, but the spouse answered, 'I don't know what occurred.' "
According to reports, numerous neighbors chased the two attackers onto the street, where they left in a getaway car parked outside the house. They were both dressed in black tops with hoods and white sneakers.
Police stated a third individual was driving the getaway car, a white sedan.
The pair was taken to a local hospital. Both are in stable condition, and the 41-year-old male is scheduled to have surgery for his injuries.
Police Superintendent Simon Glasser informed the outlets that the two men were hunting for separate 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 said that the couple's neighbors were "very courageous," but cautioned 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 verified that an inquiry is ongoing. "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.