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As a new resident of Canada, Marie Escabarte was proud to be living in what she felt was a very safe place.
Not anymore.
"I've been bragging about Canada," said Escabarte. "How safe it is. I can just walk around, and then this happens."
In what appears to be a completely random home invasion, a woman entered a house on Kelglen Crescent just after 1 pm.
When the intruder was confronted by a resident of the downstairs suite, Tanya Gonzales, it turned violent.
Photo Credit: KelownaNow
Marie Escabarte
"Tanya was fighting with her and she was trying to escape and yeah, she was stabbed five times," explained Escobarte.
She wasn't at home when it happened, but her three children were.
"After the attack in the basement, Tanya went upstairs to ask for help because everyone was there upstairs," she added.
Photo Credit: Kelowna Alert Facebook group via a family member
At that point, the attacker reportedly followed Tanya upstairs but was scared off when she saw two male relatives there.
"My kids saw that Tanya was bleeding," said Escabarte.
The police credit the quick response of emergency personnel.
Photo Credit: KelownaNow
“We applaud both our officers and medical personnel for their life-saving work,” said Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Michael Gauthier.
Escabarte said Tanya's injuries included a punctured lung, but her condition is improving.
"She's out of ICU, she's in the ward right now, so she's recovering and hopefully she can get out in the next couple of days."
However, everyone in the extended family who shares the home is impacted.
Photo Credit: Kelowna Alert Facebook Page, post by family member
"It's really traumatizing. For the first night, we haven't slept," said Escobarte.
"We've been checking the doors four or five times, six times," she added.
"Every time we wake up, in the middle of the night, we check the doors again."
Photo Credit: Kelowna Alert Facebook page posted by family member
After looking at surveillance video in the area, the RCMP were able to make a quick arrest the same afternoon.
Morgan Marie Smith, age 24, was charged with aggravated assault
She's due in court Tuesday morning.
Tanya Gonzales is in the Country on a tourist visa, and there are concerns about her medical costs, so a GoFundMe account has been started for her.
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