Homeless woman charged knife attack against man, daughter in Westminster

SANTA ANA, Calif. - A 43-year-old homeless woman was charged Tuesday with stabbing a father as he shielded his daughter in Westminster.

Victoria Vu, whose last address was in San Diego, was charged with two counts each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon and a count of attempted willful harm or injury to a child likely to produce great bodily injury, all felonies, with sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a deadly weapon and inflicting great bodily injury.

She was also charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a switch-blade knife.

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Police were dispatched at about 4:45 p.m. Sunday to the 8200 block of Westminster Boulevard regarding the stabbing.

The Westminster man said he was walking with his daughter through a courtyard when Vu hurled a bottle at the pair before attacking them with a knife, police said.

Vu was accused of attempting to stab the child as her father shielded her, and the man sustained stab wounds to his hand and leg, police said. The girl escaped injury.

The man said a good Samaritan also intervened, helping to prevent further injury. Vu eventually walked away, but remained in the area and was arrested, police said.

Police have not determined what prompted the attack, authorities said.