A father and daughter from White Plains, New York, were given Civilian Hero awards after saving a woman's life from a brutal stabbing attack last year.
The two individuals were identified as Armando Gramajo and his daughter, Shayla. They were honored by the Westchester County district attorney for their role in stopping the potentially life-threatening incident from taking a darker turn of events in May 2024.
Father and Daughter Receive Civilian Hero Awards
In a statement at the event, Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace said that the woman had a knife sticking out of her head. She said that the father and daughter knew that the man she was with was beating her to death. He could have easily turned around and targeted the two good Samaritans.
At the time, the victim was texting a co-worker about an apartment when her husband suddenly attacked her in a jealous rage. The suspect in the case was identified as Carlos Obed-Tovar, who stabbed his wife 35 times, first in their basement apartment in front of their six-year-old daughter, according to ABC7NY.
After the initial altercation, the suspect grabbed a second knife as the victim was able to run outside of their home. At the time, Gramajo was working on a car when he suddenly heard screams and quickly confronted the suspect.
The father was known to practice martial arts and previously served in the military in his native Guatemala. His daughter, Shayla, is a physician and quickly rendered life-saving aid to the victim who was stabbed.
Cacace said that the victim was only able to survive thanks to the help of two strangers, who knew nothing of the dispute that they witnessed. She added that it was a dangerous thing that no one asked them to do, the New York Post reported.
Saving a Woman's Life
During the incident, when Gramajo saw the victim and her husband chasing her, he shouted "Para! Para!" which was Spanish for "Stop!" Faced with the military veteran, Obed-Tovar simply stopped and froze in place.
His daughter, 25-year-old Shayla, said that the entire situation could have gone the other way, which she was glad was not the case. After that, the suspect tried to run away, prompting Gramajo to once again shout "Para! Para!" and keep him in place.
Obed-Tovar's bid to withdraw his guilty plea to second-degree attempted murder was rejected by the New York Supreme Court Justice James McCarty on Aug. 14. He then imposed the prison term for the defendant, which is 12 years in state prison, as per Iohud.
