Detroit man accused of slashing 7-year-old girl's throat at family-friendly park

A Detroit, Michigan man has been charged with slashing a young girl's throat on the west side of the city earlier this week.

Gary Lansky, 73, was arraigned at the 36th District Court in Detroit on Thursday according to court records. He stands charged with assault with intent to murder and assault with a deadly weapon . Lansky's bond was set at $2 million by a magistrate and his next court hearing has been scheduled for October 16. A hearing to re-determine his bond has also been scheduled for Monday according to court records.

If he is convicted of the crime Lansky will face up to four years in prison, reports The Detroit News . No attorney was listed for Lansky in the court records. Detroit Police officers attended a property on Stahelin Avenue at around 3.45pm on Tuesday after a report of a stabbing.

READ MORE: Ex-member of rock band Mr Bungle strangled girlfriend to death as she recorded killing on her phone

READ MORE: Parents describe terror of giving birth in Hurricane Milton after contractions started while storm hit

Upon arrival they found a young girl with her throat cut being tended to by medics, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said. A preliminary investigation reports that Lansky allegedly approached the child in a park near the 5800 block of Greenview Avenue near the Southfield Freeway and Ford Road and slashed her throat before fleeing.

Detectives working the case were led to Lansky by their investigation and arrested him later that day, police said. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR-MI, have said the girl is a Muslim with their Michigan chapter identifying her as Saida Mashra.

Dawud Walid, the group's executive director, said in a statement on Friday: "CAIR-Michigan is saddened to hear about the attack of 7-year-old Saida while playing in a park near her home. Regardless of the motive, this attack was a senseless act of violence that will impact the lives of Saida, her family, and all of the other children who were in the park that day."

They also speculated that the attack may have been a hate crime adding: "Although at this time there is no evidence that this attack was motivated by hate, the assailant’s true motives remain unknown. CAIR-MI is calling on police and the prosecutor to conduct a thorough investigation into Gary Lansky’s motives for the attack."

Walid confirmed that they had spoken with both the police and the child's family and would be monitoring the situation. He said: "While the charges faced by Garly Lansky are serious, we urge the Detroit Police Department and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this matter to determine whether hate was a motivating factor in the attack."