A video captured a man with a rap sheet allegedly stabbing a mom while chaperoning a Saturday school trip in Times Square, New York Post reported.
Amber Lohr, 36, from western Pennsylvania was stabbed in the chest while chaperoning a school trip in Times Square. Amber was escorting a group of students when Cyril Destin, a 61-year-old with a criminal record, allegedly launched an unprovoked assault, according to the New York Post. Amber’s husband, John Lohr, expressed the family’s resolve not to return to New York City.
Amber, a mother of five, was guiding students near Times Square when Destin, who has been arrested 14 times over 20 years, suddenly attacked, the outlet reported. He had been sitting outside a deli before allegedly leaping up and stabbing Amber as she and the students exited a souvenir shop. John recounted the horrifying incident.
Today’s cover: Shocking video shows serial offender stab random tourist near Times Square in unprovoked attack https://t.co/LYwioCH4E6 pic.twitter.com/Pu2gFlLCSa
— New York Post (@nypost) May 13, 2024
“A guy with a very lengthy record went out of nowhere and attacked my wife by stabbing her into the chest and within inches of her life being lost,” John told New York Post.
Despite her severe injury, Amber remained composed and protected her students’ safety. John described her as a hero for staying in front of the children and calmly instructing them to move away. Only after ensuring their safety did Amber reveal she had been stabbed, prompting a bystander to seek help, the outlet stated.
John expressed gratitude towards the unidentified bystander and praised the girls for their bravery despite being terrified. Amber received immediate treatment on the sidewalk before being taken to the nearby hospital. Surveillance footage captured Destin holding the knife when police arrived and arrested him. (RELATED: ‘I Couldn’t Feel A Pulse’: Store Clerk Reportedly Stabs Customer Who He Thought Was Stealing)
“This man could have murdered my wife or even worse one of the children she was chaperoning,” John added. “To think I could have been planning a funeral rather celebrating my wife on Mother’s Day is sickening to me.”
Destin, who resides in a nearby shelter, has been charged with second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. His criminal history includes arrests for menacing, trespassing, theft and other offenses, alongside a record of erratic behavior and hallucinations, according to the New York Post.