Authorities investigating the stabbing death of an infant in Pennsylvania allege that the child’s father has confessed to the heinous crime.
Police arrived outside the Coatesville residence of Michael Phillips, 44, on Wednesday, February 11, to find him soaked in blood, shouting, “I did it, God. I did it.”
Phillips allegedly stabbed his three-month-old son in the abdomen and then tossed the wounded newborn into the snow. Police said he made references to sacrificing the child in their presence, according to court documents shared with Us Weekly.
Court records confirm that Phillips was arrested at the scene at approximately 11:35 a.m. It was neighbors who called 911, asking for police assistance.
Phillips’ baby son was airlifted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he underwent emergency surgery. At press time, the infant was recovering and listed in critical but stable condition.
According to court records, the baby’s mother told authorities Phillips had made comments about sacrificing their son before the attack. When he started stabbing the infant, she said she told her 9-year-old child to run and get help.
The baby’s mother allegedly ran outside and threw herself over the discarded child in an attempt to protect him from Phillips, according to the court documents.
An officer ran to the child, wrapped him in a blanket, and sprinted to a waiting ambulance, it is alleged in the documents.
The baby’s name has not been released and was redacted in court filings.
Charging documents indicate that body camera footage captured the exact moment Phillips declared, “I did it, God. I did it.”
Neighbor Edward Rivers told FOX29 that Phillips has “always been a quiet, nice guy. Every time I see him, he says, ‘What’s up?’ This morning, I saw him. He walked outside with his son and I saw him. He smiled to me, said goodbye like normal and walked out.”
Rivers is finding the entire tragedy hard to comprehend. “To me it was surprising, because he seemed like a really nice guy,” Rivers said. “He was really a good neighbor.”
Phillips briefly appeared in court on Thursday, February 12, but the judge postponed the proceeding after determining he was unable to answer simple questions. He also allegedly repeatedly begged for God’s forgiveness.
He was not asked to enter any pleas, Us confirmed.
Phillips is being held at the Chester County Prison without bond and has been charged with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault with intent to cause serious bodily injury and endangering the welfare of a child.
Another neighbor, Robert Boyd, also said that he saw Phillips hours before the stabbing attack and expressed his shock at the incident.
“I was shocked when I came back home and saw all the police here,” Boyd said. “I was talking to him for five minutes this morning and didn’t detect anything like that or anything going on with him.”
It was unclear Thursday if Phillips had an attorney who could address the allegations on his behalf.
If you suspect child abuse, please call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit ChildHelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential, and the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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