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Woman Escapes Random Knife Attack; Stamford Cops Arrest Suspect At Gunpoint

STAMFORD, Conn. — A man swung a knife at a 24-year-old woman as she was walking with her family in a terrifying random incident near Scalzi Park on Tuesday evening, Stamford police said.

Ludwin D. Grijalba

Ludwin D. Grijalba

Photo Credit: Stamford Police Department
The spot on the bridge to Scalzi Park where a man swung a knife at a 24-year-old woman Tuesday evening. She was uninjured and a 33-year-old man was arrested.

The spot on the bridge to Scalzi Park where a man swung a knife at a 24-year-old woman Tuesday evening. She was uninjured and a 33-year-old man was arrested.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern
The pedestrian bridge with the adjacent fire department station parking lot in the background where a man swung a knife at a 24-year-old woman Tuesday evening. She was uninjured and the man was arrested.

The pedestrian bridge with the adjacent fire department station parking lot in the background where a man swung a knife at a 24-year-old woman Tuesday evening. She was uninjured and the man was arrested.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern

The woman wasn't injured, and officers were soon able to capture Ludwin D. Grijalba, 33, of 554 E. Main St., police said. 

The woman was walking with her mother; her two younger siblings, an 8-year-old brother and a 2-year-old sister, and an 8-year-old male cousin, Sgt. Simon Blanc said.

They were leaving the park via a pedestrian bridge that allows people to enter and exit the park at Washington Boulevard, he said.

The woman looked behind her as her family was trailing behind and noticed a man staring at her, Blanc said. 

The man continued to glare at her as he passed and then stopped at the steps leading to Washington Boulevard, Blanc said. As she approached him, he lunged at her with the knife but missed and instead hit a metal railing, Blanc said.

The man left the scene but screamed at her as he did, Blanc said. The screaming caught the attention of firefighters, who were outside a nearby fire station, and the family ran to the firefighters to tell them what happened, he said. 

The firefighters called police and pointed out a building the man had gone behind on the other side of Washington Boulevard, Blanc said.

A police officer spotted the man in a yard near a dumpster with the knife placed on top of the dumpster, Blanc said. 

The officer jumped over a fence, pulled his gun out and, assisted by a sergeant, was able to take the man into custody without ay problems, Blanc said.

There was no apparent motive for the attack, police said.

Grijalba was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, carrying a dangerous weapon, attempt to commit second-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. He was also charged with second-degree failure to appear on an unrelated charge.

His bond was set at $5,000 for Tuesday's incident and $5,000 for the fail to appear in court. He was held for a court appearance Wednesday.

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