Stabbing Victim: Police Said There Was Another Attempted Break-In

WOBURN, MA — The victim of a violent Woburn home invasion said police told his family there was another attempted break-in earlier the same night.

Woburn Police Chief Robert Rufo maintains there is no record of another attempted break-in.

Guruprasad Krishnamurthy was attacked with a knife around 2 a.m. March 29 in his North Woburn home. After he opened the window and he and his wife shouted for help, the intruder fled out the back door of the home, he said.

Krishnamurthy spent a week in intensive care and required surgery among other medical attention, he wrote. He is still recovering.

Krishnamurthy told Patch that soon after the break-in, police told his family that a nearby house had an attempted break-in the same night; the would-be home invader turned away when a dog started barking, Krishnamurthy said they were told.

"We were told not to worry," he said. "The immediate response from the cops was, 'It's not just your house, another house had a break-in prior to getting to your house.'"

The police chief, who previously said that investigators believe the attack was targeted, repeated to Patch that there was no record of another attempted break-in. There were no similar incidents of any sort, he said.

Krishnamurthy also reiterated that his family's recent move across the country was pre-planned; it was actually delayed by the incident.

"My employer was notified well in advance," he noted.

Finally, he said he and his family had cooperated and given multiple interviews to police, contrary to the police chief and mayor's statements about an uncooperative victim. Krishnamurthy spoke to the police both in the ICU and while preparing for the move, he said.

But he also asked for residents to respect the city and the police.

"I fully support them doing their jobs," Krishnamurthy said. "If people can respect our privacy and also respect the authorities working on this investigation, that would be great."

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.