HAVERHILL, MASS. (WHDH) - A man is set to face a judge after authorities say two women were attacked outside of a Haverhill home Wednesday evening.
Jake Kavanaugh, 23, of Haverhill, is slated to be arraigned Thursday in Haverhill District Court on charges of armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, mayhem, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle, according to the Essex District Attorney’s Office.
Law enforcement sources told 7NEWS that two women were hit by a car on Fairview Farm Road before one ran for help through the woods and returned a short time later with a police officer.
The officer saw a man kneeling on the ground next to the other injured woman and at first thought he was helping her but then realized he was attacking her with a box cutter, sources said.
The officer tackled the man and the DA’s Office says Kavanaugh was taken into custody.
One of the victims had to be airlifted to a Boston hospital with injuries that are considered to be life-threatening, the DA’s Office added.
Neighbor Chris Heywood said he heard a commotion and went out to see what was happening.
“I saw a man on top of somebody so I went over there, a police officer came running across the snow and tackled him, handcuffed him, and at the same time I didn’t realize there was a body there, and police were trying to get her, turned out it was a woman who had been stabbed,” the man recalled.
Heywood says both the victims and the attacker he saw handcuffed are his neighbors.
“I have no idea what the motivation was behind it but they’ll figure it out I guess,” he said.
Authorities said they do not believe this was a random attack.
An investigation remains ongoing.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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