On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Coatesville, Pennsylvania, resident Michael Phillips was arrested after he allegedly stabbed his infant son in the stomach. Police were called to the home Phillips shared with his wife and children in the late morning after he reportedly attacked the baby. Prior to the stabbing, Phillips allegedly told the child’s mother that he needed to kill the baby for some sort of sacrifice. After the stabbing, the father allegedly threw the baby into the snow. As the investigation continues, his motives will likely be revealed, but for now, many have been left stunned.
Phillips was well-known around his neighborhood, and those who knew him were shocked by what happened. Neighbor Edward Rivers, spoke with NBC10 Philadelphia, telling them he saw 44-year-old Phillips with the baby and his 13-year-old son around 8 a.m. the day of the incident.
“He’s always been a quiet, nice guy,” Rivers said. “Every time I see him, he says, ‘What’s up.’ This morning I saw him. He walked outside with his son and I saw him. He smiled to me, said goodbye like normal and walked out. To me it was surprising, because he seemed like a really nice guy. He was really a good neighbor.”
Robert Boyd, another neighbor, also shared that he’d seen Phillips that morning. Nothing seemed different during that interaction.
“I was shocked when I came back home and saw all the police here,” Boyd shared. “I was talking to him for five minutes this morning and didn’t detect anything like that or anything going on with him.”
Phillips and his family had lived in the Millview Apartments for years, neighbor Danielle Gray told WECT. She was shocked when she found out who was arrested for the crime.
“A good family,” she described. “Their mom, Dominique, she has two older boys. My son, who is 10, is friends with them. They just had a little baby three months ago.”
The 3-month-old baby “was in very serious condition and was flown to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia” on February 11, according to a release from the City of Coatesville Police Department. As of February 12, the baby was “listed in critical but stable condition.”
Michael Phillips was arraigned on February 12, police said. He faces charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and reckless endangerment. Currently, he is held without bond at the Chester County Prison.
