Authorities in Indiana have reported a disturbing incident where a 13-year-old girl was randomly attacked with a butcher-style knife while watching her brother play baseball at a park during the Labor Day weekend. The suspect is believed to be a member of the MS-13 gang.
A 26-year-old man named Dimas Gabriel Yanes is currently facing charges of attempted murder, battery, and intimidation, according to online court records.
During an interview with Fox News, coach Matthew Ramian shared the details of a frightening incident that took place in the bleachers at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday. The incident occurred at the fields located at 17401 Morse Street in Lowell, a town in northern Indiana, approximately 60 miles southeast of Chicago.
“Out of the corner of my eye, I see this dude just come out of behind my dugout, and all he did was just jump on this girl, and then he started to push her down under the bleachers,” he told the station. “Then he pulls out at least a 16- to 20-inch knife, it wasn’t even a regular-sized pocket knife, and just started swinging it and got her a few times, and blood went all over the bleachers and on the people sitting in front of them.”
According to a probable cause affidavit, The Times of Northwest Indiana reported that the suspect was seen hovering over her with a large knife. According to the document, he reportedly attempted to stab her in the chest, but she managed to block the attack with her hand.
According to Ramian, the attacker fled down the sidelines, pursued by a group of up to 15 onlookers. After the suspect vanished into the nearby woods, deputies conducted an extensive overnight and day-long search. Yanes was apprehended the next day after being spotted sprinting through a cornfield, according to officials.
Officials have reported the discovery of a knife with a distinctive style, commonly referred to as a “butcher-style knife.” Additionally, it has been noted that the suspect attempted to alter his appearance by cutting his hair. This detail adds to the unsettling nature of the incident, as evident in the suspect’s mug shot which displays an incomplete and uneven haircut.
According to the affidavit, the suspect claimed to investigators that he discovered the knife in the woods and that the attack was unintentional, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. According to the Tribune report, the affidavit stated that someone was following him and instructing him to do it.
A hospital treated the girl for wounds to her hand and then released her, according to officials.
According to Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr., the individual responsible for the attack was identified as a known member of MS-13 and had previously been flagged as a potential threat to law enforcement and national security. The sheriff shared this information on Facebook.
The individual was sent back to Honduras in 2018 but managed to unlawfully return to the United States. Unfortunately, he has a history of criminal activities, including battery, trespassing, intoxication, and attempted burglary in multiple states, namely New York, Illinois, Georgia, and Ohio, as stated by the sheriff.
According to online court records, Yanes is currently being held at the Lake County Jail with bail set at $15,000 cash or $150,000 surety.
