Bronx Model Seeks Help After Son’s Stepdad Attacks
A distressed model from the Bronx urgently kicked in a neighbor’s door for assistance after her 12-year-old daughter was attacked by her stepfather. The incident escalated when the assailant reportedly shoved a “tool” into the girl’s nose, causing a drill bit to injure her eye, according to witnesses.
Karisma Daveney, 31, was allegedly stabbed multiple times by Joshua Burnside, 28, in their apartment on East 173rd Street Wednesday night. Neighbors revealed that Daveney, injured and frantic, was begging for help, fearing for the well-being of her daughter.
“She was pounding on my door, shouting, ‘Oh my god! Oh my god!'” recalled a nearby resident who asked to remain anonymous. The source was aware of the situation involving Burnside.
“When the police arrived, she mentioned she had been stabbed and that her children were still inside. [Burnside] didn’t attempt to let her back in,” the neighbor added.
As officers attempted to gain access to the family’s apartment, they found that it was secured with a bolt, complicating their efforts.
“They couldn’t kick it in because of the bolt,” the resident explained. “After a series of demands, the suspect eventually opened the door.”
Once police apprehended Burnside, they called an ambulance. A neighbor mentioned that Daveney remarked, “Oh, this is what you get for letting him see the kids,” after the situation unfolded.
Other residents reported that Daveney had sustained head injuries and had been stabbed in the abdomen, while authorities confirmed that the object used to assault the girl was indeed a “drill bit.”
The drill bit had to be surgically removed from the girl’s eye. She was taken to Cohen Children’s Medical Center in Queens for surgery, but updates on her condition were not available as of Sunday.
Burnside, identified as the stepfather, faces charges of assault endangering a child and possession of a weapon. These charges may be elevated to attempted murder. He was hospitalized following the event and is now awaiting arraignment.
