A Pennsylvania father is accused of stabbing his three-month-old son and throwing the baby into the snow after allegedly making comments about sacrificing the child.
Michael Phillips, 44, was found shouting, “I did it, God. I did it,” as police arrived, according to court documents in the shocking case.
He was taken into custody on Wednesday when police were called to the Millview Apartment Homes in Coatesville just after 11:35 a.m. for a report of a stabbed infant, authorities said.
Police say Phillips stabbed his son in the abdomen and then carried him outside, leaving him in the snow. The baby was airlifted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he underwent emergency surgery. The Chester County District Attorney’s Office later said that the infant was listed in critical but stable condition.
According to a criminal affidavit obtained by WPHL, the child’s mother told investigators Phillips had made comments about sacrificing their son before the attack. She told her nine-year-old child to run and get help.
The baby’s mother then ran outside and threw herself over the child in an attempt to protect him, according to the affidavit.
When police arrived, blood was visible on Phillips’s shirt, and body camera footage captured him saying, “I did it, God. I did it.”
Neighbors, who told FOX29 that Phillips lived in the building with his girlfriend and their young children, described the scene as chaotic and deeply disturbing.
But when Edward Rivers, who lives in the apartment complex, saw Phillips earlier that morning, he said he didn’t notice anything unusual.
“He’s always been a quiet, nice guy,” Rivers said. “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. To me it was surprising, because he seemed like a really nice guy. He was really a good neighbor.”
Phillips was expected to appear in court for a preliminary arraignment on Thursday morning. A judge halted the proceeding after determining he could not answer simple questions and repeatedly begged for God’s forgiveness.
He is being held at Chester County Prison and faces multiple charges, including attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault with intent to cause serious bodily injury, and endangering the welfare of a child.
