An LI man cuts a woman with a kitchen knife and attacks a child who tries to intervene

A Long Island man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder and related crimes after Cutting a woman several times with a kitchen knife. and attacking a 9-year-old boy who tried to stop the attack, authorities announced Wednesday.

Milton Mendez, 45, allegedly got into an argument with a 39-year-old woman in Uniondale Tuesday night. As the argument escalated, Mendez “grabbed a kitchen knife and cut the victim several times in the face and hands,” Nassau County Police Department investigators said in a news release.

When a 9-year-old girl who witnessed the argument tried to intervene, Mendez allegedly “grabbed her by the neck and applied pressure, making it difficult for her to breathe,” and then proceeded to hit her in the head, investigators said.

As the young victim continued trying to get the knife away from Mendez, he allegedly cut both of her hands.

The 9-year-old boy and a 17-year-old woman, who were not involved in the attack, were able to escape the home and call 911.

When officers arrived at the scene, they heard the 39-year-old man “scream for help” and saw Mendez “leave the kitchen and (enter) a hallway holding a knife covered in blood.”

After initially refusing to comply with orders to drop the weapon, Mendez was disarmed and placed under arrest.

He has since been charged with attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal obstruction of breathing.

Both victims were transported to a local hospital for treatment and are said to be in stable condition, according to police.

It was not immediately clear how the suspect and the two victims are related.

Mendez He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment early Wednesday. and is in preventive detention without the right to bail. He is expected to return to court on Friday.