You never know what people are capable of. After all, they say that mothers protecting their children are capable of producing enough adrenaline to allow them to lift a car. It stands to reason then, that some children are capable of the same thing in order to save their parents.

In this story we discuss a normal Tuesday in April of 2017, and the extraordinary circumstances that occurred in one Bronx, New York apartment at around 5 p.m…

Night in the ER

The Emergency room crew at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx thought that it was just another normal Tuesday night in the ER. People came in with everything from stomach upsets, to the flu, to the occasional broken bone. On this Tuesday though, a rather unusual circumstance found its way into the waiting room.

Knife Wounds

Twenty Two-year-old Brian Febus came into St. Barnabas with a rather unusual malady. He stumbled in holding his hand to his back, the lower portion of his shirt, pants, and shoes covered in blood. It was clear he had been stabbed. As to who stabbed him though, the hospital staff could only guess…

Street Fighting

Of course, when he arrived at St. Barnabas Hospital on Tuesday night, Brian Febus explained to the staff that he had been targeted in a street fight he’d become embroiled in earlier that evening. It was a funny story, but it wasn’t impossible. Immediately, the police were called in to investigate further.

The Sotos

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ER woman and her two sons, one eleven and one four, were coming into the emergency room because the mother has been hurt and the whole family had just suffered a terrifying ordeal. Denise Soto was in a panic when officers walked over to her in the ER to hear her story…

Normal Night

Just as it had been in the ER, this Tuesday had been a normal night at the Soto residence. Denise, her 11-year-old son and his 4-year-old brother were sitting quietly at home when there was a knock on the door. Denise looked out the peephole at the stranger and asked what he wanted. The man’s request was an unusual one.

Bathroom Break-In

It was 5 p.m. and the would be burglar’s bizarre request was that Denise let him in to use her bathroom. She of course refused the odd request, yet, no sooner has she turned to walk away from the door, then the man kicked the door in, bursting into the apartment…

Grab the Knife

Denise immediately ran into the kitchen and grabbed the first weapon she could get her hands on, a knife out of the butcher block. Before she got a chance to use it, the burglar had snatched it right from her hand, cutting her deeply in the process.

Too Slow

The knife fell and the burglar began to pummel the single mother repeatedly. He busted her lip open and smacked her around. Meanwhile, her two young sons watched in horror, not sure what to do. Finally, the eleven year old ran inside to grab the house phone…

Call for Help

He was afraid for his mother’s life and knew that if he didn’t act fast she could be killed. The brave young man grabbed the phone and dialed 911, telling them that there was a “robber in the house”, but before he could finish telling them anything more, the man stopped attacking Denise and grabbed the boy by the arm, snatching away the phone.

Last Chance

The burglar then tossed the boy aside like a ragdoll, throwing him to the floor and continuing to attack his mother. Though dazed, the boy could see the knife block in the kitchen. He jumped to his feet, grabbed another knife, and stabbed the man right in the lower back…

The the Hospital

The burglar, one Brian Febus took off running in the opposite direction, out the door and to the street and right to St. Barnabas Hospital. Although Denise was a bit worse for wear, neither of the boys were harmed in the melee. Either way, they had to get to the hospital to be sure. Then they’d go to the police.

Recognized

At first, the police interviewing both Denise Soto and Brian Febus didn’t realize they were working on the same case. After all, the police and medical staff had no reason to believe that Brian was anything other than an innocent stabbing victim. Then, from across the ER, Denise Soto recognized the man who had broken down her door…

Crazy Coincidence

It seemed at first like a strange coincidence after all, an 11-year-old boy saving his mother’s life by stabbing her stronger, full-grown male assailant. Yet Denise Soto was insistent that the man across from them was the one who’d attacked her and her children: the man who could have killed them all.

Added Up

Once police compared notes from Denise’s story to the wounds suffered by Febus, they knew the truth. And even though the little boys did not instantly recognize the man, there was enough proof for them to realize the stabbing victim was the Soto family’s assailant. They arrested him on the spot…

Arrested

As it turned out, Brian Febus was a career criminal with no less than fourteen priors against him. He was taken into custody and is going to face charges on not only burglary but also felony assault for the beating he gave to both Ms. Soto and her son.

Charged

Some of Febus’ 14 prior arrests include a case earlier that year in which he was charged with criminal contempt, another for endangering the welfare of a child, and yet another for criminal mischief for allegedly trying to bust down the door at the home of the mother of his 1-year-old son. News of the attack and the little boy’s bravery spread like wildfire…

Eyewitness Accounts

“It was really nasty. When someone knocks on your door and cuts you on the face?” exclaimed one of the Soto’s neighbors, who wished to remain anonymous. Still, as terrifying as the experience must have been for all involved, one must respect the quick thinking and actions of Denise and her little boys.

Little Hero

“If you defend your mother you are a hero,” said neighbor Kim Williams of the eleven-year-old’s heroism. “It’s unfortunate an 11-year-old had to do that but I’m just glad she wasn’t more severely injured.” The boy was indeed a hero, but if things went south with the burglar’s case, there could be complications…

Protect Her Family

Just in case Brian Fergus gets released, Denise Soto wanted to make sure her family is protected from any reprisals for what was done. She currently has an active order of protection against the would-be burglar and has been sure to improve the locks on her apartment door.

Lingering Questions

“The lady that lives in that apartment, she’s a beautiful woman I don’t even know why she would be in danger,” says one of Denise’s neighbors. Still, the police detectives are looking into how and why Fergus chose their apartment in the first place. They still don’t have any leads to speak of.