Great-Grandmother Stabbed in Lawrenceville

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Lawrenceville Police said a great-grandmother was stabbed Monday around noon, allegedly by the father of her infant great-grandson.

The incident happened in the parking lot of the Gwinnett County office of the Division of Family and Children Services. Investigators said 29-year-old Clarence Howard attacked and stabbed 67-year-old Betty Sheffield while the two sat inside an SUV along with Howard's six-month-old son. Police told FOX 5 News that child's mother and grandmother were inside the DFCS office when the stabbing happened.

Witnesses called police, who said they arrived just in time to see Howard attempting to flee the scene while carrying his baby in a carrier. He was quickly arrested and Sheffield was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center, where authorities say she will stay overnight for observation.

The child was not hurt. Howard has been charged with aggravated assault and third-degree cruelty to children. Sheffield, according to police, is expected to be alright.

In a statement, DFCS said the following:

“We are saddened and concerned to hear of an act of violence that occurred in the parking lot of a Family and Children Services office in Lawrenceville this morning. We are grateful for the quick response provided by emergency personnel, who arrested the assailant and who provided quick medical treatment to the victim.

Additionally, we are proud of our quick-thinking staff, who kept a terrible situation from becoming worse by taking immediate action to call 911 and to secure the building, keeping clients and staff away from the exits.

The safety of our clients and of our staff remains a priority for the Division, and we are committed to ensuring our facilities are a safe environment for those in need of our services. Staff involved in Monday’s incident have been referred to our Employee Assistance Program.

Our thoughts are with the victim and the victim’s family as they recover from this horrific incident.”