Police say the 3-month-old boy was wounded, flown to Philadelphia for surgery and listed in critical but stable condition.

COATESVILLE, Pa. — A 44-year-old Coatesville man is accused of stabbing his 3-month-old son inside an apartment and throwing the wounded baby into the snow outside, leaving the child critically hurt and prompting attempted homicide charges, authorities said.

Investigators say the attack happened late Wednesday morning at an apartment complex on the 2000 block of Smithbridge Drive, where police were called for a reported stabbing. Prosecutors say the case now centers on whether Michael Phillips tried to kill his infant son during a violent confrontation with the child’s mother. The baby was flown to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for emergency treatment, and Phillips was jailed after a court appearance in which bail was denied.

Police said officers were dispatched at about 11:36 a.m. on Feb. 11 after a report that an infant had been stabbed. According to investigators, the baby’s mother told officers Phillips had made comments about needing to sacrifice the child before he came at her with a knife and tried to stab the infant multiple times, striking the baby once in the abdomen. Authorities say the mother grabbed the child and fled the apartment with an older son. After they got outside, the older child ran for help. Prosecutors say Phillips followed them, attacked the mother and baby again, grabbed the infant from the mother’s arms and threw him into the snow. The mother then used her body to shield the baby until first responders reached them, according to police. District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said police and EMS worked quickly to give the child a chance to survive.

Investigators say officers arriving at the scene found Phillips there and took him into custody. Court records and local reports say police later recovered a bloody knife from inside the apartment, under a blanket. An arrest affidavit described body-camera recordings in which Phillips allegedly said, “I did it, God, I did it,” and, “This was all part of God’s plan.” Authorities have not said whether he had legal representation at the time of those early proceedings, and court records reviewed publicly after the arrest did not answer broader questions about his mental state. Local television reports said his initial late-night arraignment did not move forward as planned after a judge questioned whether he could answer basic questions. He was later arraigned, denied bail and sent to Chester County Prison. The infant was flown to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, underwent emergency surgery and was later listed by police as critical but stable in the intensive care unit.

The case jolted neighbors in the Millview Apartments community, where several residents told local television crews they knew the family and had not expected such violence. One neighbor, Jim Gimmell, said a child ran to his front stoop barefoot and yelled that the baby was in danger, prompting him to call for help and head outside. Another neighbor, Danielle Gray, said she was stunned and heartbroken because she had known the family for years. Edward Rivers, who lives nearby, said he had seen Phillips earlier that morning and thought nothing seemed unusual. Those accounts added to the shock around a case that investigators say unfolded in minutes but left a baby with life-threatening injuries. Police have said the older child in the home was safe and with his mother after the attack. Authorities have not released the names of the mother or children.

For now, key parts of the case remain unsettled. Police have publicly described the mother’s account and the physical evidence they say they found, but they have not laid out a fuller timeline of what happened inside the apartment before officers arrived. Investigators also have not publicly explained whether Phillips had a diagnosed mental illness, whether drugs played any role, or whether there had been prior calls to the home. A local report said the mother told police she believed Phillips was having a psychotic episode and that he was known to abuse drugs, but authorities have not publicly confirmed that claim in detail. Prosecutors also have not said whether additional charges could be filed. At this stage, the criminal case is built around attempted homicide, aggravated assault with intent to cause severe bodily injury and endangering the welfare of a child, along with other counts that may be addressed as the case moves through court.

The next public milestone in the case was set quickly. Chester County court information listed Phillips for a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. on Feb. 20 in District Court 15-1-03 at One City Hall Place in Coatesville. That hearing is expected to address whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence to move the felony case forward. Between now and then, investigators are likely to continue reviewing body-camera footage, witness statements, medical records and evidence recovered from the apartment. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek competency-related evaluations or other court-ordered reviews, and no trial date had been set in the publicly posted county schedule when the case was listed. The child’s longer-term medical outlook also remained unclear. Police gave an early condition update after surgery, but no detailed hospital statement was made public.

The scene described by police and neighbors was both violent and chaotic: a family running from an apartment, a child seeking help, officers moving toward an ambulance and a mother shielding an injured baby in the snow. Those details have shaped the public picture of the case as much as the charges themselves. De Barrena-Sarobe said his office’s thoughts were with the family during an incredibly difficult time. Neighbors spoke in simpler terms, describing fear, disbelief and grief. Florence Ericson, who lives nearby, told local television that the arrest left residents shaken in their own homes. Even with those reactions, the formal case still turns on evidence that will be tested in court, including the mother’s statement, the alleged knife, officer observations at the scene and the defendant’s recorded remarks after his arrest.

The case remained in its early stage, with Phillips jailed in Chester County and the infant recovering after emergency surgery. The next scheduled step was the Feb. 20 preliminary hearing in Coatesville, where prosecutors are expected to outline the evidence supporting the charges.