Man, 27, stabs and kills NYC grandmother returning home

A New York grandmother was stabbed and killed during a random attack in broad daylight while on her way home.

Geetha Howie, 63, was leaving a bank at around 2.15pm on Monday in Staten Island when she was attacked about two blocks away from her home.

She was stabbed more than a dozen times in the face and chest.

The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Dantey Moore, then stabbed neighbor Mark Long, 56, in the arm as he ran to help after he heard screaming.

By the time police and paramedics arrived at the scene, Moore had dropped his knife and was cradling the victim in his arms, investigators said.

Grandmother Geetha Howie, 63 (pictured), was leaving a bank around 2.15pm on Monday in Staten Island, New York, when she was attacked about two blocks away from her home

The suspect, Dantey Moore, 27 (pictured), stabbed Howie more than a dozen times in the face and chest. He's been arrested and faces charges of murder, criminal possession of a weapon and four counts of assault, police said

The suspect, Dantey Moore, 27 (pictured), stabbed Howie more than a dozen times in the face and chest. He’s been arrested and faces charges of murder, criminal possession of a weapon and four counts of assault, police said

Howie's screams drew 56-year-old neighbor Mark Long, who didn't know Howie, out of his house. He confronted Moore in an attempt to get him to drop the knife (Pictured, Howie's home)

Howie’s screams drew 56-year-old neighbor Mark Long, who didn’t know Howie, out of his house. He confronted Moore in an attempt to get him to drop the knife (Pictured, Howie’s home)

Relatives believe the stabbing may have started as a robbery that went wrong. 

Howie’s screams drew Mark Long, who didn’t know Howie, out of his house.

‘His hand was holding a knife and that’s when I realized he’s stabbing and I said: “Hey, stop!”‘ Long told the New York Daily News. 

‘The guy stood up, he lunged at me, swung his knife out. He scored me in the arm.’

Long and the attacker backed up and faced each other. The father-of-one said he focused on trying to get Moore to drop his knife.

‘All I could think about is keeping his attention away from the woman. I just kept asking him: “What’s going on? What are you doing? Why are you hurting her?”‘ Long said.

‘He didn’t really say anything to me at first and finally he said: “She cheated, she cheated with everyone” and I didn’t really know what that meant.’

That’s when Moore dropped his knife and fell to the ground, and began to cradle Howie.  

Paramedics took Howie to Richmond University Medical Center, where she died about an hour later.

Moore slashed Long (pictured) in the arm, causing a laceration. Long was finally able to talk Moore down and get him to drop the knife

Moore slashed Long (pictured) in the arm, causing a laceration. Long was finally able to talk Moore down and get him to drop the knife

By the time police arrived at the scene, Moore had dropped his knife and was cradling Howie (pictured) in his arms, investigators said. She died at Richmond University Medical Center an hour later

By the time police arrived at the scene, Moore had dropped his knife and was cradling Howie (pictured) in his arms, investigators said. She died at Richmond University Medical Center an hour later

Howie's son-in-law, Daniel Fazzina, said she had been at the bank to withdraw money to travel to Sri Lanka for a relative’s wedding, and believes the attack may have been a robbery gone wrong (Pictured, crime scene)

Howie’s son-in-law, Daniel Fazzina, said she had been at the bank to withdraw money to travel to Sri Lanka for a relative’s wedding, and believes the attack may have been a robbery gone wrong (Pictured, crime scene)

Her son-in-law, Daniel Fazzina, said she had been at the bank to withdraw money to travel to Sri Lanka for a relative’s wedding, and that she was very loved.

‘She loved her family. We have a three-year-old daughter, her granddaughter, who she absolutely loved,’ Fazzina told CBS 2. ‘They were inseparable. This is a senseless tragedy.’

Fazzina added that he later visited Long to thank him for his help. 

Moore, who didn’t know Howie, was arrested, and faces charges of murder, criminal possession of a weapon and four counts of assault, police said.

His motive remains unclear, but sources say they are investigating attempted robbery, and if he was on drugs.

One of Moore's two sisters, Cynthia Toye, 23, told the Daily News that her brother suffered from bouts of rage and that he had been hospitalized for abusing the drug angel dust (Pictured, crime scene)

One of Moore’s two sisters, Cynthia Toye, 23, told the Daily News that her brother suffered from bouts of rage and that he had been hospitalized for abusing the drug angel dust (Pictured, crime scene)

Moore's motive remains unclear, but sources say they are investigating attempted robbery, and if he was on drug (Pictured, crime scene)

Moore’s motive remains unclear, but sources say they are investigating attempted robbery, and if he was on drug (Pictured, crime scene)

Prior to this incident, Moore had 34 arrests since 2007 for a wide range of alleged offenses including burglary, robbery, assault, criminal possession of drugs, criminal mischief and resisting arrest (Pictured, crime scene)

Prior to this incident, Moore had 34 arrests since 2007 for a wide range of alleged offenses including burglary, robbery, assault, criminal possession of drugs, criminal mischief and resisting arrest (Pictured, crime scene)

One of his two sisters, Cynthia Toye, 23, told the Daily News that her brother suffered from bouts of rage and that he had been hospitalized for abusing the drug angel dust

‘His anger was just building, building,’ she said, adding that recently he’d been fighting with his girlfriend.

Prior to this incident, Moore had 34 arrests since 2007 for a wide range of alleged offenses including burglary, robbery, assault, criminal possession of drugs, criminal mischief and resisting arrest.

A retired NYPD detective who lived next door to Howie told News 4 that Moore is a known nuisance and drug user in the neighborhood, and has broken into cars to try and get money.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk