Police charge man with attempted murder after pregnant woman stabbed

The heavily pregnant mother-of-two stabbed on her Aberfan school run phoned a friend as she lay bleeding to say 'he tried to kill me' it emerged today, as a man is charged over the attack.

Neighbours desperately tried to stem the flow of blood coming from mother-of-two Andreea Pintilli, 29, whose baby boy is due three days before Christmas.

Veterinary assistant Katie, 31, said the attacker was using a 'large knife' to inflict multiple wounds on his victim, aiming for her stomach.

Miss Pintilli managed to take out her mobile phone to call a friend to say she had been stabbed.

Neighbour Katie Roberts - who lives opposite with husband Shaun - said: 'I heard her saying: 'He tried to kill me.' I don't know who she was speaking to, she was lying on the floor.'

Police confirmed today that Ms Pintelli has been released from hospital - as Daniel Mihai Popescu, aged 28, from Merthyr has been charged with attempted murder.

The mother-of-two and her unborn baby both miraculously survived being stabbed by an attacker outside the family home in Aberfan, south Wales, as she returned from taking her children to school yesterday.

The Crown Prosecution Service added that they had further authorised charges of stalking and witness intimation.

Ms Pintilli, 37 weeks pregnant, worked at a Home Bargains store and had gone on maternity leave just four days before the attack. 

Colleague Leah Hull, 23, said: 'We are all just thankful Andreea and the baby are going to be alright.

'She has no family here so one of her close friends from work is with her in hospital and giving us updates on how she is doing.' 

Staff at the supermarket said Ms Pintilli's baby is due on December 22.

It's understood Ms Pintilli called a work friend as she lay bleeding badly on the road outside her house in Aberfan, South Wales.

Mr Roberts, 36, said: 'We heard screams coming from outside, and we thought it was children. Then my wife Katie said 'Oh my God he is stabbing her'. 

'I went outside and tried to put pressure on some of the wounds. Katie went to get some towels to make her comfortable.

'It happened so fast, she was conscious and she was very brave but obviously in shock.'

Insurance loss adjuster Mr Roberts went back inside to tend the couple's seven-month-old girl May, who was in her cot.

He continued: 'My hands were covered in blood from where I had just put my hands on the wounds and pushed so I had to wash them first.

'The woman had a jacket on, but I couldn't say if that protected her at all, the man ran off up the street, towards the Taff Trail.

'Katie stayed there just trying to help the woman until the emergency service arrived.'

The couple's motion-sensitive security camera in their front window captured every moment of the attack and the footage is being investigated by the police.

Officers previously confirmed they had arrested a 28-year-old man from Merthyr, who is known to the victim, on suspicion of attempted murder after a seven-hour manhunt.

In a statement, South Wales Police said: 'Daniel Mihai Popescu, aged 28, from Merthyr has today, Wednesday 6th December, been charged with attempt (sic) murder following an incident on Moy Road, Aberfan, Merthyr, yesterday morning.

'He will appear at Merthyr Magistrates Court tomorrow morning, Thursday 7th December at 10am.

'The 29-year-old woman who was injured during the incident has been discharged from hospital.'

Police confirmed that Ms Pintilli has now been discharged from hospital after being stabbed 'at least five times' with a large knife in a horrifying daylight attack.

Popescu will appear at Merthyr Magistrates Court tomorrow morning.

Armed police swooped on Moy Road, Aberfan, in the south Wales village shortly after 9am yesterday when the mother - who had moved to the area with her two children last month - was reportedly found in a pool of blood on the pavement.

Schools, community centres and public buildings in a five mile radius went into lockdown while the suspect was on the run. Neighbours ran into the street with pillows and blankets while emergency services arrived.

Jordan Jones, Senior Crown Prosecutor of CPS Cymru-Wales said; 'Following a review of evidence provided by South Wales Police, we have authorised charges against a man who stabbed a female in Aberfan yesterday, 5 December 2023.

'Daniel Mihai Popescu, 29, has been charged with attempted murder, stalking and witness intimation.

'He has been remanded in custody to appear before Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court on the 7 December 2023.

'Criminal proceedings are active and Popescu has the right to a fair trial.

'It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.

'The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider'.

Last night Ms Pintilli's ex-partner Teodor Balan, 34, who is the father of her two children, said: 'Thank God she is OK, I was so worried about her'. 

He added: 'She is a very good mother, she is looking after the children very well. It was difficult for her to bring up two children while working part time.' 

Mr Balan, who was in a relationship with her for nearly ten years until 2020, told the newspaper that he was 'so worried' about Andreea, who was working part-time at Home Bargains to support her family financially. 

'She called me in the morning. I'm still friends with her. I helped her move her stuff, and helped her paint. We moved just over a week ago.' 

The suspected knifeman was arrested after armed police surrounded a house in the village of Troedyrhiw, three miles from the scene of the stabbing. 

Four armed officers burst into the pale yellow three-bedroomed terraced property at 3.30pm while neighbours were advised to stay indoors. 

Police were inside for 30 minutes before the front door opened and a man in a black hoodie was bundled into the rear of a police car and driven off.