Dad of young Brooklyn hammer attack survivors visits them at Bellevue Hospital; fund-raiser launched after murder of mom
The widowed father of two children who survived a gruesome Brooklyn hammer attack that killed their mom was greeted by his 5-year-old son during a Bellevue Hospital visit, with both kids still fighting for their lives, a state senator said Saturday.
Grief-stricken Jing Hong Liu reunited with his children at Bellevue’s Trauma Center, where they remained in the intensive care unit three days after the savage Wednesday assault inside their Sunset Park apartment, said Sen. Iwen Chu (D-Brooklyn).
“Whatever happens next, we will face it together and provide the best care I can offer to my children,” said Liu, according to Chu.
Liu, a restaurant kitchen worker in Ohio, rushed to the city after receiving the heart-breaking news of the brutal attack on his family.
While older child David woke up when Liu arrived, his 3-year-old sister Sophie was fighting a lung infection Saturday, said Chu. A GoFundMe page established to help the family said Sophie’s scheduled Friday surgery for her injuries was postponed until her vital signs could improve.
The father and his children “will also need a lot more resources for long term recovery, both physically and mentally,” said the fund-raising page, noting they no longer have a home to recover in once out of the hospital.
Accused murderer Liyong Ye, 47, remained behind bars Saturday after police arrived to find him covered in blood Wednesday and holding the hammer near the body of Zhao Zhao, the 43-year-old mother.
“I am heartbroken,” said Chu. “As a mother myself, I cannot began to imagine what Mr. Liu is going through. Seeing them in such pain breaks my heart.”
The suspect was charged with murder, attempted murder and weapons possession in the slaying, with a roommate who shared the apartment with the killer and his victim saying the two had argued in the past over the living situation.
