The suspect being quizzed over the stabbing a 19-year-old who is fighting for his life was brought to the garda station by a close relative in the hours after the attack, the Irish Mirror can reveal.
The victim was knifed in the neck while in the driver's seat of his black Audi car in Swords, north Co Dublin on Thursday night at around 7pm.
He was rushed to Beaumont Hospital where he remains gravely ill and his family are keeping vigil at his bedside.
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We have learned that the suspect, aged in his 20s, knew the victim and lived near where the incident happened. After returning to his house following the attack, a close relative brought him to a local garda station where he voluntarily gave himself up and was arrested.
Although locals initially thought it may have been an attempted carjacking, gardai do not believe that is the case. One line of inquiry is that the knife attack centered around a personal grudge, but they are also exploring the theory that the young men had met up before a row kicked off.
A source said: "The victim is in a very bad way. He was stabbed in the neck area and he is really fighting for his life but it doesn't look good at the moment.
"The man in custody is known to the victim and went to the local garda station in the hours after the attack.
"It isn't clear yet what caused the attack, obviously there's a number of things being looked at but it does appear that they were known to each other in someway."
The victim had parked up in his Audi car in Brookdale Avenue, Swords. It is believed he was talking to a man – who then leaned through the driver’s window – and stabbed him once in the neck. It's understood that the attacker had fled on foot across the large estate.
The victim got out of the car and then collapsed before emergency services got there within minutes, treated him at the scene before he was rushed by ambulance to Beaumont Hospital.
He underwent emergency surgery and remains in very critical condition. On the same night, there was a heavy garda presence in the area carrying out searches in a bid to find the weapon used.
Yesterday [FRI] morning, the Audi car remained at the scene before it was removed to be examined by specialist cops.
Garda forensics also combed the area for evidence while door-to-door inquiries were also being carried out.
It is believed that the victim's family lives locally and are very well-liked. His parents are originally from Moldova but he has lived much of his life here and has a younger brother in secondary school. One local told us that his family are "really lovely people."
And she added: "It has absolutely stunned everyone. No one can believe it. It is heartbreaking. I just hope he can get through it now and all of our prayers are with him."
As it stands, the case is being treated as serious assault causing harm, however if the victim dies it is expected to be upgraded to murder.
Gardai in a statement confirmed the arrest and asked any witnesses to make contact with them. A spokeswoman said: "A male, aged in his early 20s has since been arrested for an offence contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997 and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 in Swords Garda station.
"Gardaí in Swords are appealing to any person who may have information in relation to this incident to contact them.
"Any person with any information which may be relevant to the Garda investigation should contact Swords Garda Station on 01 666 4700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station."
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