Michigan Man Sentenced to Up to 15 Years After Slashing 7-Year-Old Girl’s Throat in Broad Daylight at Detroit Park
Detroit, Michigan — A 74-year-old man who attacked a young girl in a neighborhood park, slashing her throat with a pocketknife in broad daylight, has been sentenced to seven to 15 years in prison, bringing closure to a case that horrified families across the city.
Child Survived After Her Throat Was Cut at Ryan Park
According to Wayne County prosecutors, Gary Lansky, 74, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to assault with intent to murder and assault with a dangerous weapon for the October 8, 2024, attack on 7-year-old Saida Mashrah in Warrendale’s Ryan Park.
Investigators said Lansky approached the child without warning, lifted her chin, and cut her throat with a pocketknife, then attempted to stab her in the stomach. Saida managed to fight back — kicking, screaming, and running home for help.
A neighbor quickly applied pressure to the wounds as blood poured from the child’s neck.
“He just came out of nowhere and slid the knife on me,” Saida said in an earlier interview.
She received multiple stitches, and doctors described her escape as nothing short of “miraculous.”
Victim Describes Fear and Trauma in Court
During the sentencing hearing, Saida bravely addressed the judge, describing how the attack changed her life.
“I feel scared, nervous… I didn’t want to go to sleep. I didn’t want to go outside. I felt like if I went outside someone would try to take me or kill me,” she said through tears.
Her mother’s written statement — read aloud in court — shared similar heartbreak.
“Behind her smile, she is broken inside. Every night when I hear her crying, I break a little inside, too.”
Bystanders Restrained the Attacker Until Police Arrived
After Saida ran home, bystanders at the park reportedly held Lansky down until law enforcement arrived. He was arrested at the scene.
Wayne County court records show that in addition to his prison term for the attack, Lansky received one to four years for a separate assault involving a relative. The sentences will run concurrently.
The family has filed a $50 million civil lawsuit, describing the attack as deliberate and sadistic. The complaint alleges Lansky parked his van, saw the girl playing, and attacked her “without hesitation.”
Civil Rights Groups Condemn Lack of Hate Crime Enhancement
Local civil rights advocates criticized authorities for not pursuing additional hate crime charges, suggesting the family’s visible ethnicity may have played a role in the assault.
Arab American Civil Rights League Executive Director Mariam Charara said:
“This was not a random act of violence… If the tables were turned, there would be no hesitation in how this case would be prosecuted.”
Defendant Apologizes After Guilty Plea
Lansky offered a brief apology at sentencing:
“I’d like to say how sorry I am to the family for what I’ve done.”
The court ultimately determined that despite his mental-illness plea, the violent nature of the crime required a lengthy prison sentence to ensure public safety.
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