Filed under: News
Why did a 23-year-old Tampa, Fla., man stab his 6-year-old son more than 20 times during what was supposed to be a celebratory New Year's Eve event?
Investigators are still trying to find out.
Xavier Thomas Sr. (pictured) allegedly left his grandmother Yvonne Mickles' New Year's party and reportedly took his son, Xavier Jr., to the apartment complex playground and stabbed him repeatedly in the back, neck, arm and chest then left him for dead.
When Xavier Sr. returned to the party without the boy, relatives started questioning him about his son's whereabouts. According to police reports, Xavier Sr., who relatives say didn't seem concerned about his son, ran from the scene.
Relatives called police and began combing the area looking for the missing child.
Miraculously, the child managed to drag his body away from the area where he was left and was able to reach a nearby relative's home.
Xavier Jr. was bleeding profusely from head to toe, when police arrived on the scene. The child was taken to the hospital immediately and is expected to survive but might need a blood transfusion.
According to Mickles, her grandson has battled mental issues for quite a few years:
"I know he's a nut because anyone in his right mind would not have did that," Mickles said. "He's been in and out of the mental hospital. I cannot see how those people could think that Xavier was well enough to come out. The baby don't deserve this here."
Neighbor Michael Harris, who lives across from Xavier Sr.'s grandmother, told My Fox News Tampa that Mickles and her family are quiet, decent folks.
Meanwhile, Mickles is ecstatic that her great-grandson will survive his father's senseless attack and that "something good should come out of this here," she said. "If it's nothing but the Daddy getting the help he needs and mental health."
Charged with attempted murder, Xavier Sr., who gave police no motive for the stabbing, appeared in court Sunday and was denied bond. He has a lengthy rap sheet dating back to 2003, with charges ranging from possession of cocaine to burglary.
Watch the sad case here: