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Man tries to save therapist from attacker, victim's mom says
A man is recovering after being stabbed multiple times while trying to protect his therapist from an attacker, his mother said.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A man is recovering after being stabbed multiple times while trying to protect his therapist from an attacker, his mother said.
Rebecca White, the therapist, was killed Monday night by Michael Smith, a convicted sex offender recently released from prison.
The mother of the man who tried to defend White said her son was stabbed repeatedly in the face, back, and hands while trying to fight off Smith.
What we know:
Rebecca White, 44, was finishing up a session with a client around 9 p.m., Jan. 19 when her former client – identified as Michael Smith, 39 – stopped by the office and demanded to see her. She reportedly asked him to leave before calling 911, the Orange County Sheriff's office said.
That's when Smith attacked and stabbed White and her patient. The patient – a man in his 30s – was transported to the hospital and is expected to recover.
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The man was released from the hospital on Wednesday night and his family has establishes a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses.
White died from her injuries. Smith, who had served 19 years of a 22-year sentence for a sexual assault in West Palm Beach, killed himself after the attack, authorities said.
What they're saying:
Authorities say Smith arrived at White’s office after a counseling session and attacked her.
"My son jumped on him to try to get him off and got him to the ground," the mother said. "But the guy overpowered him and started stabbing my son."
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She said her son was stabbed repeatedly in the face, back, and hands while trying to fight off Smith. He was released from the hospital Wednesday night but is still recovering physically and emotionally.
"He keeps having regrets about not going back up the stairs, but if he had, he would have been dead," the mother said.
What we don't know:
Investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the attack. FOX 35 is working to learn more about the other stabbing victim.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orange County Sheriff's Office and from an interview with the mother of the man who was injured while trying to protect Rebecca White.