A pregnant woman was stabbed at her home in El Cajon on Monday night by her ex-boyfriend’s current girlfriend, police said Tuesday.
Police said the victim told officers that she was at her home with her two daughters, ages 1 and 3, when the woman forced her way inside the apartment at about 11:30 p.m. The incident happened in the 1200 block of Petree Street.
The woman, who is 10 weeks pregnant, was taken to the hospital after suffering multiple stab wounds to her arms, face and chest. The injuries did not appear to be life threatening to her or her unborn child, police said.
Tuesday afternoon, the victim was due to be released from the hospital, officials said.
The suspect, whom police say is dating the victim’s ex-boyfriend, was found inside a car near her home in the 200 block of West Park Avenue.
Coincidentally, the suspect's boyfriend also was with her. A neighbor told NBC 7 that she heard him screaming as the suspect was apprehended by police.
"He didn't know. He was asleep in the car and he was shocked and screaming," neighbor Cheryl Castillo said, noting the man was concerned for the welfare of the children inside the apartment as well as the victim.
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Shagirah Akila Joyce, 28, was booked in the San Diego County Jail on suspicion of attempted homicide.
Police have not revealed a specific motive, nor the extent of the woman’s injuries.
Court records show Joyce has had several run ins with the law. Most recently, she pleaded guilty in March to driving under the influence and resisting an officer.
She's also been charged with possession of a controlled substance and knowingly receiving stolen property.
