Horror moment woman is stabbed in the chest by stranger while she walks to work (video)

Harrowing footage shows the moment a woman stabs a total stranger in the chest on her way to work in a terrifying unprovoked attack. 
 

Wan Lai, a 36-year-old sushi chef, was walking to her restaurant in Melbourne, Australia, when she was approached from behind on October 2.  
 

CCTV footage shows the attacker suddenly running up behind her, before she pulls out a knife and inched closer. 
 

The woman looks her victim directly in the eye before stabbing Ms Lai on the right side of her body, after which she ran away. 
 

The suspect, wearing all black, fled the scene but it didn’t take quick-acting police long to track her down. 

They arrested alleged offender Lauren Darul and the 32-year-old appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court the following day. The woman remains in custody until her next appearance. 

The chef was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. She has since been discharged. 
 

She has now spoken of her trauma, posting on Threads: “My familiar living environment no longer gives me the comfort I once had. 

“I loved this neighborhood and lived there for over four years, but now, because of this incident, I’m so scared that even walking around here makes me nervous. My heart races, and I think even the sound of footsteps behind me is dangerous. 

“Accompanied by my sister and brother-in-law, I tried to walk back to the area, but anxiety kept creeping in. I longed to return to Melbourne, where I could live peacefully and breathe happily, and I hoped to slowly return to those days. Two voices in my head alternated: fear and the hope to bravely step forward.” 

A police spokesperson said in a statement: “Police conducted an extensive search of the area, arrested a woman and seized a knife. A 32-year-old Melbourne woman was charged with intentionally causing injury and committing an indictable offence while on bail.” 

In an interview on 7News, Ms Lai’s sister Ivana said the attack could have cost her sibling her life. 

She said on the channel: “She turned to her right this time and there was someone there — but what if she turned to her left? It could have been her heart. She doesn’t dare to go out anymore. She can’t stand people walking behind her and keeps looking around nervously.” 

Premier Jacinta Allan said in a statement condemned the act of violence as “absolutely sickening”, sending her support to Lai and her family. 

“No one who commits brazen, violent acts like this should be on the streets,” she said.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece maintained the city remains safe, despite recording a near-16% jump in criminal offences inside a year. 

“By any international comparison, Melbourne is a very safe city, but we have seen a rise in the crime rate that is undeniable,” he told ABC radio Melbourne.

See video below.

New details are being revealed about Melbourne’s shocking random stabbing attack, which left a woman in hospital with a punctured lung. It has been alleged her attacker is a mental health patient who failed to attend an appointment. https://t.co/ANDl9jmbXJ @paul_dowsley #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/RMufZqSxvk

— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) October 17, 2025