Girl, 13-Months, Stabbed To Death As Apartment Is Intentionally Set Ablaze By Dad

VAN NUYS (CBSLA.com)  —   Authorities said Friday that a 13-month-old girl was stabbed to death by her father who they also said set his Valley Glen apartment on fire.

Sky9's Desmond Shaw said the incident took place in the 13000 block of Van Owen in North Hollywood.

The LAPD initially reported the girl was thrown out of the window but those reports turned out to be erroneous.

The girl was transported to the hospital in critical condition. She succumbed to her injuries after arrival.

Police said the 25-year-old father also attempted to kill himself. He was taken into custody with a stab wound to his chest.

Jeff Nguyen reported from the chaotic scene for CBS2.

He spoke to one witness who told him his mother ran into their apartment saying that she saw a baby being taken to the hospital covered in blood.

Guillermo Valdez says he ran to an alley where he saw the baby's father leaning out of a window as a fire roared.

"And then you hear the mother of the child who was tabbed, she rolled through the parking lot and she said in Spanish, 'You better not kill yourself. You need to pay for this.'" Valdez said.,

Police said they used bean bags and a Taser to subdue the father.  They said he also had a steak knife jammed into his chest.

They believe the father stabbed himself and also believe he was high on methamphetamine.

He is expected to survive.

Adam Kontras has a home nearby. He shot cellphone video of the blaze and says he felt helpless. He worried the flames would spread to his house.

"I was starting to get hoses ready," he said, "I was ready to be my own firefighter."

A makeshift memorial sprung up Friday night outside the apartment.

Neighbors identified the dead girl as Rosario Torres and her father as Noe Torres.