Neighbors: Stabbed child, 3, was 'never unhappy'

By Adam Ghassemi KATU News and KATU.com Staff Published: Jan 3, 2010 at 7:55 PM PST Last Updated: Jan 4, 2010 at 5:42 PM PST
Family photo of Alena Groves, a 3 year old stabbed in Portland »Play Video
Family photo of Alena Groves, a 3 year old stabbed in Southeast Portland over the weekend during what police say was a domestic disturbance.

PORTLAND, Ore. - "Never unhappy." That's how neighbors describe the little girl stabbed Saturday.

Serenity Sanchez Police say her father's girlfriend is responsible.

We spoke briefly with the father, who was obviously upset. He didn't want to talk to us on-camera, just saying he was just too upset to talk about what happened. Neighbors say his name is Dave.

Police arrested 22-year-old Serenity Sanchez Saturday night, saying she stabbed her boyfriend's 3-year-old girl in the stomach. They say it happened inside a Southeast Portland apartment after the couple got into a domestic dispute.

Neighbors tell us they have never heard the couple fight, which is why the toddler getting stabbed comes as such a shock.

"Did she purposefully try to stab the baby," said neighbor Renee Gordon, "or was she just having a fight with Dave and the baby was physically in the middle of it and got stabbed?"

There are obviously quite a few questions still on how this happened. Police won't say what the weapon was, just calling it a "sharp object."

Sanchez is in custody facing first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon charges. Tonight that little girl remains in critical condition.