Child Found Fatally Stabbed After Injured Sister, 12, Walks Into McDonald’s For Help

Longwood, Florida -- A 4-year-old girl was found fatally stabbed after her 12-year-old sister walked a mile from their Florida home and entered a McDonald's outlet looking for help.

The father of the two children was found with stab wounds at the Longwood home and was listed as a person of interest in the case.

Officers from the Longwood Police Department responded Thursday to a call about a “suspicious incident” after the 12-year-old girl entered a nearby McDonald’s. The critically injured child had walked about a mile to get help, according to LOCAL 12.

Cops arrived at the house on 789 Highland St. around 5:40 a.m. to find the 4-year-old girl. The slain child was found with multiple stab wounds while her father, identified as Juan Bravo-Torres, was also injured.

Bravo-Torres was found in critical condition with what investigators believe were self-inflicted stab wounds. Both Torres and the 12-year-old girl were taken to local hospitals.

The children’s mother was at work when she found out about the incident. Cops said previous issues have not been reported from the household, according to WESH 2 News.

Sgt. Derek Chenoweth urged people to reach out for help and get in touch with authorities if they are in situations of domestic violence.

“There is a lot of help people can get if they're in a domestic situation and we encourage people to speak up. And if you think someone is in a domestic situation, and they're not speaking up, speak up for them, so things don't escalate into a critical incident,” Chenoweth reportedly said.

Residents living in the same area said the neighborhood is usually quiet and were shocked to hear about the deceased child and her sister.

“It’s sick,” Rafhi Rodriguez told the outlet. “When I heard about it, I was heartbroken. I was heartbroken, because you know, having children.”

Rodriguez, who lives with his wife and four young children, praised the 12-year-old girl for her courage to go find help in her situation.

“She was really brave, encouraged to walk a mile with a stab wound,” Rodriguez said. "It's a true tragedy, I just feel like we definitely need to get some help out there for those people that need the help.”

Neighbor Sean McGee also spoke about what was referred to as an isolated domestic incident.

"It's just super sad, man. I mean, any loss of life is just horrible," McGee told the outlet. "Little scary. First thing I asked was, should I be worried? Should I be inside? Apparently, we're OK. There's no threat to the area."

"It's sick, again, any loss of life is terrible. But when it's children, I have four young siblings so to have that to think about, that right outside the door…is heartbreaking," he added.