Police: Father Attacks Two Daughters With Machete, Both Hospitalized

LAUDERHILL (CBSMiami) – Two girls, ages 17 & 10, are recovering at a hospital after being attacked by a man with a machete in a Lauderhill home Friday morning, according to Lauderhill Police.

Police say the suspect, Dennis Reid, is the father of the 10-year-old girl.

Lt. Michael Santiago said Reid came to the home around 6 a.m. Friday to watch the two girls along with another of his children, a younger daughter because their mother was supposed to fly to Jamaica. Apparently some sort of altercation between Reid and the girls led to the violence.

Lauderhill police said they received an urgent 911 call around 10 a.m.

"(It was) a frantic call stating that there was an individual chopping up females," Santiago said.

When police arrived they found the two girls with injuries. One girl suffered injuries to her head and arm and the other suffered an injury to her neck and were in serious condition.

Paramedics rushed them to Broward Health Medical Center where they underwent surgery. Both girls are recovering in intensive care.

After the attack, police say Reid fled and later turned himself in at the Broward County Mail Jail. He is expected to face two counts of attempted murder.

The news came as a shock to Kemar Downing, who is the uncle of the 17-year-old victim. Downing said the victim's mother called him right after the attack.

"She only told me that her daughter got cut in the face," Downing said.

Lilly Middleton lives near the home and is brokenhearted about the violence.

"Those people are like family to me," she said, describing her heart as "broken."

Police say another young child was in the home when the attack happened but was not hurt. That child is also a daughter of Reid's. People close to the victims are praying for their recovery.

"I'm so weak in the legs," Downing said. "It's hard to swallow."