NYPD Searching for Man Accused of Stabbing Mother, 2 Infant Daughters to Death in Staten Island
New York City police tell PEOPLE that they are still searching for a man suspected of stabbing a woman and her two infant daughters to death – and severely injuring a third young daughter – at a Staten Island hotel Wednesday morning.
The suspect, Michael Sykes, 23, was the father of the youngest victim, a 4-month-old girl named Maliyah, reports the New York Daily News. Also dead were Rebecca Cutler, 26, and her 1-year-old daughter, Ziana.
Cutler's 2-year-old daughter, Miracle, also suffered stab wounds but was expected to survive.
The alleged incident occurred at a Ramada hotel that is being used for homeless housing, police said. Sources told the Daily News that Sykes accused Cutler of maintaining a relationship with the father of one of her other children.
Police said they recovered a "large kitchen knife" they believe was used in the killings.
"As a parent, there is nothing more horrible than the loss of a child," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday at a news conference, reports WPIX-TV. "There's nothing more horrible than the notion of an adult who would attack an innocent child."
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Sykes, who had no prior arrests, called his mother after the incident and confessed and said he was going to commit suicide, sources told the New York Post.
Sources told the Post that Sykes confronted Cutler on Tuesday and allegedly stole her cellphone, and that Cutler filed a police report about the theft.
Anyone with knowledge of Sykes's whereabouts is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477. All calls are confidential.
