19-year-old Arrested For Stabbing Nephew, 4, While Child's Mother Was Asleep

A 4-year-old boy in Georgia was stabbed by his teen uncle while there were at least two other people, including the child's mother, inside the Lawrenceville residence. Investigators believe drugs were the reason behind the 19-year-old attacking his nephew.

Cops arrived at the scene at around 8 a.m. Sunday after recieving a 911 call about an injured child in the house on Lewis Ridge Circle in the city, according to the News & Observer.

The boy was found "with a stab wound to his abdomen," Gwinnett County police said in a news release.

The assailant, Anatolii Balesta, who was still inside the house when first responders arrived, was arrested at the scene.

Gwinnett County Master Police Officer Angela Carter said the victim's mother, who was also at home, was believed to be asleep at the time of the incident.

Cops are working to ascertain the events that led to the stabbing. "Detectives believe narcotics to be the reason for the attack, but the investigation is ongoing," the police added.

The boy was rushed to the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery from the incident.

Carter said Balesta recently began living inside the house, according to 11Alive. He was charged with aggravated assault, first-degree cruelty to children, and possession of a knife in the commission of a felony.

Apart from the child's mother, Carter said there was another family member, related to the boy's parents, at the home during the attack. The family member called 911 after Balesta stabbed the child.

It is unclear whether there were other children present inside the house. The Division of Family and Children Services was called in to look into the case, Carter said.

In an unrelated incident reported earlier this month, a woman in Illinois allegedly pushed her 3-year-old nephew into Lake Michigan from Chicago's Navy Pier. The victim, Josiah Brown, was underwater for nearly half an hour and suffered cardiac arrest as well as severe brain damage. The boy was rushed to the hospital but passed away days later. The woman, who was arrested and charged for the incident, was caught on camera pushing the child and reportedly did nothing as he struggled in the water.