Jacksonville Police: Father stabs daughter and son, sets house on fire

Jacksonville, FL — Two people are hospitalized following a stabbing in the Lakeshore area and their father has turned himself in after police say he set the house on fire.

Jacksonville Fire Rescue was called to the home on Shirley Ave. between Cassat Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd.

According to police, a 29-year-old man heard his older sister screaming in a bedroom.

“He goes in there to investigate and saw the father was stabbing her”, said Lt. Evander Collier with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

The son tried to intervene when he was stabbed.  Both victims were able to flee the home with three small children.

“The father stayed back, set the house on fire and he fled to a couple blocks away where he called police and turned himself in”, Collier said.

Police say the father was covered in blood and had superficial injuries.  The man didn’t tell police what motivated the attack.

Both victims were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.  DCF is working to take temporary custody of the three small children.