Family of woman who admitted to abusing, stabbing her children speaks out

TULSA, Okla. -- (KFOR) -- The family of a Tulsa woman who admitted to repeatedly stabbing her 11-year-old daughter, leaving her in critical condition, before taking off with her 8-year-old daughter, causing police to issue an Amber Alert, is speaking out about the brutal crimes.

Taheerah Ahmad, 39, is accused of tying up two of her daughters, aged 11 and 9, before stabbing the 11-year-old girl repeatedly.

When police questioned Ahmad about the brutal crime, she reportedly told police she committed the acts because she had become upset “because of the way they were reading and looking at her,” according to a police report.

Ahmad allegedly stabbed the girl “50 to 70 times” and struck her over the head several times with a pick-axe, the police report states.

While Ahmad was allegedly stabbing the 11-year-old girl, her 8-year-old daughter helped the 9-year-old girl escape, who then ran to a nearby family member's home to get help.

After the stabbing, Ahmad reportedly set the kitchen on fire and then left the home with the 8-year-old girl, Hafza Hailey.

The report also says Ahmad wanted to burn down the residence to “further ensure that (the 11-year-old) was dead.”

Police said the 11-year-old had dozens of stab wounds to the torso along with puncture wounds to her legs, neck, hands and face when she was found.

She remains in “very serious” condition. Officials told the Tulsa World the child is unconscious and intubated.

Authorities later located Ahmad and Hafza in downtown Tulsa.

Hafza told police that her mother had held her and her sisters hostage inside the home for several days.

She reportedly told police that Ahmad forced them to stay in their rooms with no food or water.

Ahmad was arrested and booked into the Tulsa County Jail without bond for assault and battery with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, first-degree arson and child neglect.

The woman's family is now speaking out about the disturbing crimes.

“My little niece came running up the driveway, barefoot in hysterics saying 'auntie, auntie mommy killed Sadiya,'” Barbara Alsharif told KJRH. “Nobody moved. Everybody was shocked.”

After rushing over to Ahmad's home, they discovered a nightmare.

“Seeing that girl lay there like she had just been through a war-torn country was not something that we see at home,” Alsharif said.

A family friend said she then rushed to the critically injured 11-year-old's side.

“I came running in there and I looked at her and I shouted out her name, I told her don't worry we're going to get you out of here,” Terrell said.

Alsharif said she tried putting out the fire in the kitchen and called police.

“She loved her kids. She went to work every day for her kids. Everything she did was for her kids,” said another one of Ahmad's aunts, Debrecka Fields.

The family told KJRH they started noticing a change a few days before the horrific crime unfolded.

“She was normal Friday, Saturday she snapped, Sunday she was evil.”

They said she had recently lost her job, shot her dog and chickens, then her mother who cares for her two boys kept her from seeing one of them graduate on Saturday.

Family members say that was the tipping point before Mother's Day killed her spirit on Sunday.