Just an inch more and she would have lost her left eye, but she didn't and tonight a 20-year-old woman who was stabbed in the face is recovering at the hospital. Priscilla Hope says that at around 6 yesterday evening she went to visit her father on Raccoon Street when she became involved in an argument with a friend of her father's. We spoke to her at the KHMH where she is recovering from a life-threatening wound.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
She's got a puncture wound in her face, a catheter in her nose and is confined to bed, but 20 year old Priscilla Hope is cheerful and upbeat. And she's got every reason to be, because 24 hours ago - this is what she looked like just 24 hours ago. It's not much of a picture, taken from a camera phone, but it shows a kitchen knife stuck in her face just beneath her eye. These x-rays show how deep the knife's blade went into the 20 year old's face. It happened at around 6 yesterday evening when hope went to visit her father. She got in the middle of a dispute between her 73 year old father and his 18-year-old female friend.
Priscilla Hope, Attacked
"I asked my father what went on and he shaked his head and he pointed so. So I watched her and I asked her what went on. She told me to watch out and just deal with what unu have to deal with and don't tell me anything, she was saying lots of things. So I walked to the door, towards the door a little bit, and she came towards me. So I asked her if it was me she wanted to have problems with? She didn't say nothing and then my father started to holler to watch out because she had a knife but I wasn't really paying that any mind. Then at that time when I looked back, I saw my dad run into the kitchen and then I turned around and passed her and I saw her just stabbed me in my face. Then she ran through the back door and she had on this high (heel) shoes, I don't know she jumped down there, and I don't know how she ran in that shoes. And then when my boyfriend saw the knife he started to haul it out, because he was frightened, and I told him no it can't come out, its hard, and then he run so."
Hope says everyone ran away and she wasn't sure quite what to do, so she followed behind with the knife stuck in her face.
Priscilla Hope,
"I ran downstairs out of the yard towards the street and I heard my 'lil sister, and the other lady that was there daughter, scream and they were bawling. Then the lady turned around and saw it and she was like, 'oh my gosh.' She too was trying to take it out and I told her no, 'don't take it out, just take me to the hospital.' I got into the vehicle and at that time blood was pouring out of my nose, I just saw blood pouring out. I didn't panic none at all. I didn't panic because then the knife was already in there and then I know the only person who could help me is a doctor, they are the only person who could help me. I saw it afterwards when I laid down on the bed and I took the x-ray and they had the thing, the x-ray in front of me, and when I watched up I saw everything."
Alfonso Noble,
What was your reaction then when you were seeing this thing sticking out?
Priscilla Hope,
"Watch mi face. [Chuckles.] It is the first time I ever get a scar in my face so that was a really freak to me or something. The blade? The blade was about this and only a small part went into me."
Alfonso Noble,
"So the knife pierced your skull and it went into your mouth?
Priscilla Hope,
"It didn't reach way in because it went up. I am glad it didn't go all the way through because I probably would have been in worst pain than this."
She survived with only a small scar on her face as a reminder of how close she came to a life altering experience. She's glad to be alive, but she won't forget and says she'll press charges against the woman who stabbed her.
Priscilla Hope,
"Anybody will have revenge for anybody who does them anything. But me and she, we used to be friends and we stopped being friends because she has a childish attitude so I don't want to be her friend because of that. But like how this happened, I guess I don't have nothing to do with her because have already held her."
Alfonso Noble,
Will you drop the charges?
Priscilla Hope,
"I won't drop any charges. I won't drop any charges because then she is a young lady who been di get inna war like that, she been di get scar up and those things, and she been di fight like that. I am not the first person she do this to, she chop up a young gial already, she chop more than one young gial, and more than one young gial beat her up too; so I won't drop any charges from her. I will continue my court, I will take her to court and so."
Police have charged 18-year-old Lisa Luriano who is accused of stabbing Hope in the face. She has been charged with attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, and grievous harm.
