The 19-year-old waitress who was stabbed at around 9:30 pm on Monday is said to be in a stable condition after undergoing surgery at the New Amsterdam Hospital yesterday; her attacker who was also chopped remains in police custody.

Carina Hollins of Hong Chinese Restaurant at Canefield, East Canje was stabbed after she intervened when the attacker who was a customer at the time was physically abusing her colleague.

Enraged persons who witnessed the stabbing pursued the attacker and dealt him six chops with a cutlass on his neck, feet and hands. He was treated at the hospital and then handed over to the police.

Two men who have been taken into custody for the chopping incident have not yet been released. Police sources told this newspaper yesterday that they have been receiving conflicting reports about both incidents. They said charges would be laid as soon as investigations are completed.

Reports are that the attacker, who was a customer at the restaurant at the time, was making offensive remarks to another waitress because she refused to go out with him. He then became physically abusive to the woman; boxing her and hitting her with a beer bottle.

This prompted Hollins to intervene and the man also started to “pull and tug at her” and she in turn hit him with a beer bottle. Sources said he was angered by this and he drew a knife and dealt her the stab, causing her to bleed profusely.