'Hero' dad fought off Hainault 'sword killer' to defend young family as children slept
2 May 2024, 15:40 | Updated: 2 May 2024, 15:59
A 36-year-old man charged with the murder of a teenager during a sword rampage in Hainault is said to have been fought off by a young father during a separate attack.
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Henry De Los Rios Polania, 35, was stabbed in the neck and hand at home after the attacker broke in while he was sleeping on Tuesday morning.
Suspect Marcus Arduini Monzo, 36, has been remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with the samurai sword murder of 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, as well as with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and being in possession of a bladed article
He is also accused of attacking four other people, including Mr De Los Rios Polania and two police officers who are seriously hurt.
Mr De Los Rios Polania is now in hospital being treated for his injuries.
Read more: Teenage victim of Hainault sword attack named, as tributes pour in
His sister Jessica De Los Rios Polania, 31, called her brother a hero for protecting his family.
She said: "He's very devastated to believe something like this could happen.
"To us, he's our hero. He protected them - my niece and my sister-in-law.
"They were just literally sleeping, opened their eyes to see a man with a big machete sword. He felt helpless in the moment but to us he is our hero. It could have been extremely worse," she told PA.
Ms De Los Rios said of her brother: "He's awake, he's in hospital," but "he lost a lot of blood".
She said of her family: 'We just have faith, but what worries me the most is how traumatised they are. They haven't been able to sleep."
Read more: Man charged with murder of 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin in Hainault sword attack
Appearing in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, Monzo confirmed his name.
He is due to appear again at the Old Bailey on Tuesday if a hearing is not available on Friday.
It is alleged that Monzo crashed a van into a fence in Laing Close just before 7am on Tuesday, hitting a member of the public.
He then got out of the van, saying he would kill the man and slashed him to the neck, the court was told. He is then accused of breaking into the De Los Rios' house, before being fought off.
Monzo is accused of then running up behind Daniel, who was walking to school, and slashing his neck, before stabbing him in the chest as he lay on the ground.
It comes after it was revealed on Thursday morning that Daniel's mother cried out "that's my son" moments after he was stabbed.
Aiste Dabasinskaite, his next door neighbour, told how she and others had tried to shout warnings to him before he was attacked but he could not hear them because he had headphones in.
The attacker initially confronted Ms Dabasinskaite before turning on the teenager.
She said: "The man approached me first and I managed to run away when he drew the sword. We were shouting and waving towards Daniel as he came out. He had his headphones in so he wouldn't hear us. It just happened right before our eyes, it was horrible."
She went on to say: "It's horrible isn't it, poor boy, I feel really bad for his family.
"As my next door neighbour we used to say hello and wave at each other in the mornings when he left for school."
On the outpouring of support from the local community, she said: "It's lovely, it's really nice, we've had people coming from all over, coming and putting flowers down.
"They're really supportive, we've got a great community here, we never expected something like this to happen."
Paying tribute on Wednesday, Daniel's family said he was "a wonderful child" who was "well loved" and "hard working" - and that his death "leaves a gaping wound in the family".
"No family should have to go through what we are experiencing today," they told Sky News. "Any family will understand it's an absolute tragedy."
