The family of 8-year-old Saida Mashrah, whose throat was slashed at a park in 2024, has filed a lawsuit against the man accused of attacking her.
According to reports from CBS Detroit, the Detroit Free Press, and The Detroit News, the civil complaint was filed on October 22 against 74-year-old Gary Lansky.
The lawsuit claims Lansky approached Saida, who was 7 at the time, while she played at a Dearborn, Michigan, playground. He allegedly grabbed her neck and “dragged his knife across” it, causing severe bleeding, as detailed in the complaint published by Law & Crime.
The filing further states that Lansky attempted to stab Saida in the stomach, but she fell backward before the knife struck and managed to escape, running home for safety.
According to Wayne County court records, Lansky faces charges of assault with intent to murder and felonious assault. He has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is set for December.
CBS Detroit reported that Saida has since recovered physically from the October 2024 attack but continues to struggle emotionally.
“I used to go to the park every day with my grandma, until he did this, and now I don’t want to go back,” she said.
Saida received 20 stitches after the incident. “I feel like in my dreams the guy would say, ‘I’m coming back for you,’ and that makes me scared, and that’s why I cry in the middle of the night,” she told the outlet.
