Bronx man allegedly tortured stepdaughter by ramming needle-like object through her nose into brain
12/13/2025 8:30 am PST
BRONX, N.Y. (TCN) – A 29-year-old man allegedly stabbed his wife and tortured his stepdaughter by jabbing a needle-like object into her brain, according to authorities.
On Dec. 10, the Bronx County Office of the District Attorney announced Joshua Burnside was indicted on charges of attempted aggravated murder, attempted murder, assault, and other related charges for the alleged Oct. 22 attack on his wife and stepdaughter. Neither has been named by officials.
According to court documents obtained by WPIX, on the evening of Oct. 22, Burnside stabbed his wife, 31, in the stomach after an argument and then pushed her outside and locked her out.
He then allegedly attacked his 12-year-old stepdaughter with two knives, a fork, a crochet needle, a spoon, tongs, and a plate, according to Yahoo News. He then drove a 6-inch needle through her nose and into her brain.
The outlet reports a neighbor attempted to give aid to the girl’s mother and called 911; she had reportedly gone door to door after being locked out, asking for help. A witness described it as looking like she had been slashed across the face and stabbed in the abdomen.
The couple’s younger children, ages 2 and 5, were unharmed, according to the district attorney’s office. The 12-year-old girl and her mother were transported to the hospital, where the child underwent surgery to have the object removed from her brain. She faces a lengthy recovery. In a TikTok video posted since, her eye appears disfigured, according to Yahoo News.
District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said, “The brutality that this defendant subjected his family to is absolutely shocking.”
The Shore News Network reports Burnside will appear in court Feb. 23, 2026, and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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