A six-year-old boy was killed and his 12-year-old sister is in critical condition on her birthday after their throats were slashed open by an intruder while they slept in their beds.
Police say the attacker broke into the children’s house in Camden, New Jersey, about 2.30am and stole into an upstairs bedroom, where he attacked the two children.
After she was attacked, Amber Andujor ran through her neighborhood screaming for help — her throat cut open and bleeding profusely.
She was rushed to the hospital, where she is fighting for her life in critical condition on her birthday.
Her brother, Dominick, 6, died in the house.
Amber identified her attacker as ‘Popi,’ the son of a local preacher who is often seen playing with neighborhood children, NBC Philadelphia reported.
The man, in his earlier 20s, lives just a few doors down from the children.
Police arrested him Sunday evening after a massive city-wide manhunt.
Neighbors told the TV station that the man had a dispute with the children’s mother two months ago.
She was at a hospital for surgery on Sunday and was not home at the time of the attack.
The children’s 14-year-old sister was looking after them. She was asleep at the time. A third sister in the house was also uninjured.
After the attack, Amber ran out of the house and began pounding on doors, screaming for help.