MD - Mother Attacked Infant With Kitchen Knife At Social Services Building

BALTIMORE — A mother managed to slip a long kitchen knife past security at a Baltimore social services building and used it to stab her infant daughter in the face and neck Tuesday, police said.

The 8-month-old baby was stabbed several times, but was listed in good condition at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and was expected to survive, Police Det. Donny Moses said.

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Police said the 8-month-old girl had already been stabbed five times in the head, neck and chest. Short told detectives he saw a woman using her left hand to hold the baby on a table and her right hand to press a silver-bladed kitchen knife to the infant's throat.

"I'm going to kill her," police quoted her as saying.

[William] Short threw a chair at the woman's face, forcing her to let go of the baby, who fell to the floor with the knife lodged in her neck. The veteran social worker grabbed the woman and held her until help arrived, even as she bit his hand, police said...

Kenisha Thomas, who is being held without bail on charges of attempted first-degree murder, assault and child abuse...

After Thomas was restrained, the documents quote her as saying, "Lock me up. If I can't have her, nobody will."

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Kenisha Thomas, 29, did not have custody of her daughter. And during a supervised visit at the Social Services office Tuesday morning, Thomas complained about her daughter’s care and felt like she could do a better job.

As the Social Services worker told Thomas the visit was almost over, Thomas replied “It is about to be over.” She then pulled a kitchen knife from her handbag and police say she did the unthinkable.

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Baltimore City has 16 DSS sites, which all are in various stages of having their security upgraded.

"In addition to the security detail that's at the front of each of our doors, we have metal detectors, and every bag that comes in gets checked, and we now no longer let bags past our locked security doors," said Marty McGrath Tierney, director of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services.

Lockers have been installed for visitors to lock their bags. Video surveillance is available, and visiting rooms have panic buttons for clients and staff...

The infant has since recovered, Dallas said.



"She is safe, she's fully recovered from her physical injuries. We're providing some services to help her deal with the emotional trauma she went through, and she is with a safe and loving home," Dallas said.

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