A heroic father from east London has revealed how he woke up to find a man brandishing a samurai sword in his bedroom in a terrifying attack that left him in hospital. Henry de los Rio Polania, who lives in Hainaut, says he thought he was “going to die” when the violent incident unfolded on Tuesday, April 30.
“I thought we were going to die,” Henry said, recalling the horror as he tried to defend himself with pillows and teddy bears from his daughter's room. He admits he came dangerously close to losing his hand and fingers during the horrific encounter.
Caroline, his wife and their four-year-old daughter Celeste were also at home at the time of the attack.
Schoolboy Daniel Anjorin, 14, was tragically killed outside the same home while on his way to school. His alleged killer Marcus Monzo, who is accused of 'virtually decapitating' the young teenager, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this week.
The 36-year-old has since been charged with Daniel's gruesome murder, alongside other offenses including two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, one count of aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article.
Henry, who was seriously injured in an attack, was released from hospital on Wednesday, May 8 and will return next week for a second operation on his hand. His recovery is expected to take three years.
Henry told how traumatizing the incident has been for his family, who have now moved into his mother's flat in Redbridge while they find alternative accommodation.
The 35-year-old said My London: “I lost my job as an IT consultant in January, so in the meantime I just did a small lighting consultancy job to get money. It will affect me in the long run, I'm right-handed and that's the hand it was almost cut off.”
He added that the life-changing injuries mean he will have to rely more on his left arm, requiring extensive therapy before he can return to work. He said: “I need to start using my left arm, which may take some time. I need a lot of therapy and more recovery until I can work again. We felt safe in the area before the attack, I don't know. how it happened. But now it won't feel safe for us.”
In an effort to support Henry and his family, the community of Hainaut has set up a foundation GoFundMe pageraising almost £700 towards their £5,000 target to date.
Despite the trauma, there are those in London who recognize his bravery in defending his family from the criminals. He expressed his heartfelt thanks for the “incredible support” and added: “I have to believe I did my best to protect my family. I think I did what was expected of me, what every father should do for his family. “