A homeless man who was arrested after allegedly randomly stabbing an 11-year-old girl at a popular London tourist site has been identified and charged with attempted murder.
Metropolitan Police have charged Ioan Pintaru, 32, with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article.
Pintaru, identified as a Romanian citizen, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
The girl suffered serious, non-life-threatening injuries Monday morning in Leicester Square, according to the UK's Metropolitan Police Department.
The prosecutor told the court the girl, who was a tourist visiting with her mother, was put into headlock and then stabbed her eight times. She suffered wounds to the face, shoulder, wrist and neck, according to the Guardian.
The girl's 34-year-old mother, who was also thought to have been injured, was not hurt, as the blood found on her was later confirmed to be that of her daughter's.
Other people who witnessed the attack grabbed Pintaru and held him until police arrived.
"I would like to pay tribute to the members of the public, including staff from local businesses, who bravely intervened in this incident," Det. Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said. "They put themselves at risk and showed the best of London in doing so. I must also recognize the efforts of our officers who quickly arrived on scene and provided first aid to the victims until colleagues from LAS (London Ambulance Service) arrived."
News of the incident comes nearly two weeks after three girls between the ages of 6 and 9 were fatally stabbed at a Taylor Swift dance-themed workshop in the seaside town of Southport, England.
The investigation is ongoing.
