Doctors have saved the life of a baby born by caesarean section after his heavily pregnant mother was shot dead with a crossbow.
Eight months pregnant Sana Muhammad was killed in front of her five children as she did the washing up at the family home in Ilford, east London, on Monday morning.
The killer was hiding inside a shed at the property and attacked her husband Imtiaz Muhammad before chasing him inside the home.
The 35-year-old mother-of-five was hit by a bolt and rushed to hospital, where medics delivered her baby son with the arrow still lodged in her abdomen.
He was fighting for his life but police have now confirmed the baby, named Ibrahim by relatives, is in stable condition.
Meanwhile friends have launched a GoFundMe page for the family to try to raise £30,000 to support them, with more than £2,000 donated so far. To donate, click here.
A shocking photo released by the family shows little Ibrahim in hospital on Monday. He was fighting for his life following emergency caesarean surgery but is now stable
Pregnant Sana Muhammad was shot and killed with a crossbow yesterday
The 35-year-old mother-of-five was doing the washing up at home when she was attacked in front of her children
Mrs Muhammad’s ex-husband, Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo, has been charged with murder
Father-of-three Imtiaz Muhammad shouted ‘run, run, run’ as the killer chased him into the kitchen and fired the weapon
An aerial shot shows a police incident tent pressed up against the window through which the killer show Mrs Muhammad
Local Muslim cemetery Guardians of Peace have also offered a funeral service free of charge.
Mr Muhammad went to the shed at 7.30am to put a box away and discovered the armed attacker hiding inside.
The father-of-three shouted ‘run, run, run’ as the killer chased him into the kitchen and fired the weapon.
The victim’s husband told The Evening Standard: ‘I can’t help thinking she took my arrow. Maybe it should have hit me. The kids were all there, it was horrific.’
The arrow is said to have passed just inches from the unborn baby before his mother ran upstairs to get away, the arrow still stuck in her body.
Mr Muhammad added: ‘The arrow went up into her heart but did not touch the unborn baby. The baby was due in four weeks. They operated with the arrow still in because it would have been too dangerous to take out.’
Neighbours said Mrs Muhammad’s ex-husband, Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo, was taken away by police. He has since been charged with murder.
Mrs Muhammad’s husband, Imtiaz (right), said she was standing at the sink when the arrow hit
Mr Muhammad had been going out to the shed (pictured) to put some tools away when he spotted the attacker
After he spotted the attacker in the shed, Mr Muhammad ran in to warn his family, telling them to ‘run’
Heartbroken Mr Muhammad described his partner of seven years as a ‘wonderful mother and wife’.
Friends said she had five children, three with her previous partner, aged 12, 14 and 18, and two with Mr Muhammad, aged two and five.
Mrs Muhammad, who was born in Mauritius, had been a Hindu but converted to Islam in order to wed builder Imtiaz, who is originally from Pakistan.
The couple met and fell in love after her marriage to Mr Unmattallegadoo, who is also from Mauritius, fell apart.
‘Sana became a Muslim so she could marry Imtiaz. Their’s was a love marriage,’ a close family friend, who asked not to be named, told MailOnline.
Video from the scene showed a man being taken away by police after the attack yesterday
Mrs Muhammad’s husband, Imtiaz, said her killer was hiding in the shed before attacking them
Mr Muhammad said he fears the killer may have been aiming for him when he hit his wife
The friend added: ‘She is from Mauritius and had previously been a Hindu. Her marriage to her first husband was arranged. He was so much older than her and they were not happy.
‘They lived together in the house [in Newbury Park] but he [Ramanodge] moved out after they split up.’
The friend said of Mrs Muhammad’s second marriage: ‘Sana and Imtiaz were very happy. They loved having the kids around them. We all used to spend time together and share food. It is such a tragedy what has happened to her.’
A witness of the aftermath of the attack said: ‘The husband Imtiaz came out the house screaming for help – he was banging on doors.
‘The kids were all there and they were crying for help. Imtiaz had gone to put a cardboard TV box in his garage and he found the ex husband standing there.
‘It was 7.30am, so the devil must have been there in the night, laying in wait.’
Mrs Muhammad married her husband six years ago. They have two children together and were looking forward to welcoming their third
The killing happened at the family’s terraced home in Ilford, east London yesterday morning
Floral tributes have been left at the scene of the attack by Mrs Muhammad’s grieving friends
Neighbour Navneet Buttar, 35, was at home at time of the incident and also saw the aftermath.
She said: ‘I saw man come out he was shaking, nervous and he said ‘help, help’. Then within minutes the police came.’
Ms Buttar described Sana as a ‘very nice lady’, adding: ‘She is my friend on this road. Her kids and my kids go to nursery together.’
Friends said the victim converted to Islam seven years ago, shortly before she remarried.
The alleged murderer and his ex-wife still jointly own the house where she was killed, documents showed.
Mr Unmathallegadoo bought the home with Mrs Muhammad in 2011 for £329,950.
One neighbour described how Mrs Muhammad was not content when married to her previous husband.
‘She clearly wasn’t happy with her life, she married too young with a big age gap,’ the neighbour said.
A Met Police spokesman said: ‘A man has been charged with the murder of a woman in Ilford. This follows an incident at an address in Applegarth Drive, Ilford at approximately 07:40hrs on Monday, 12 November.
‘The victim was found suffering an abdominal injury. She was taken to hospital where she later died. Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating.
‘No other persons are sought in connection with this investigation. The arrested man and woman were known to each other. Enquiries into the circumstances continue.’
A total of 121 people have been killed in London this year, with the total already beyond the number killed in the whole of last year
Mrs Muhammad became London’s 120th homicide victim this year, with another killing in Balham last night taking the total number killed in the capital in 2018 to 121.
It means that with more than a month left to go until the New Year, the total is already above the 118 homicides seen in the capital in 2017.
Experienced detectives say they have been shocked by the volume of violent crime and ferocity of some attacks in the capital this year.
Steve O’Connell, Chairman of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee said: ‘We have reached the depressing situation where London has seen the numbers of people killed so far this year reach the same total as for the whole of last year.
‘This is a tragedy not only for those most affected, the family and friends of the victims, but for all Londoners.
‘Violent crime now has to be the top priority for the capital and it is time that more action was taken by the Mayor, alongside the Met, and by central government to stem the tide of lawlessness.
‘Recent initiatives like the Mayor’s planned Violence Reduction Unit may be part of the answer in the long run but Londoners are crying out for urgent solutions now – not 10 years in the future.’
- Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo, 50, appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with murder over the Ilford incident. He was remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey on November 15.
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