Father describes horror of watching his daughter being stabbed in Taco Bell parking lot

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It has been more than three weeks since a 19-year-old woman was stabbed in a Taco Bell parking lot in Archdale, North Carolina, and she is still recovering from her injuries.



Tyvonne Upshur, 40, of Greensboro, is behind bars facing several charges including attempted murder.

The Archdale Police Department said Upshur and the victim went to church together and she recently refused to date him.

As of Monday, 19-year-old Celestial Lambert is still recovering at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Her family said she is doing better every day. Celestial’s father, Jonathan Lambert, said she had a minor setback because of a spinal cord injury but doctors said with time and perseverance she will make a full recovery.

Life as Celestial Lambert knew it came to a sudden halt on March 31.

"No doubt, she thought she was dying,” Jonathan Lambert said.

The Lambert family had just finished dinner at Taco Bell on South Main Street when Archdale police said Upshur showed up and stabbed Celestial.

"Had to have been the intervention of the Lord that kept her because some of the wounds and some of the stabs different injuries that occurred could have no doubt taken her life. It really astounded the doctors,” Jonathan Lambert said.

Celestial’s father was just as astounded to learn the 40-year-old had been trying to date his teenage daughter.

“She received some flowers on our porch, was delivered from a flower shop,” Jonathan Lambert said. “They were from him to my daughter and she replied by sending him a note or a little letter saying that 'I'm not interested you in any other way.'"

Jonathan said Upshur joined his family’s church in April last year, but they did not know him that well. He said hours before the stabbing, Upshur was acting normally but as they left the restaurant Upshur was waiting in his car.

"He came racing through and swerved over, trying to hit us,” Jonathan Lambert said. “He brushed the back of my pants when he went by and the friend pushed my daughter, trying to get her out of the way. She fell, and he ran over part of her foot with his car."

Upshur did not stop there. Police say he crashed his car into a light pole then charged at the 19-year-old and her father saw the whole thing happen.

"I glanced over and saw him running toward us. That's when he attacked over my wife, he jumped over my wife and started stabbing my daughter in the back with my wife in between them. Before I could get to him he done got six jabs in.” Jonathan Lambert said.

Jonathan was able to stop the attack and held Upshur until police arrived. During the chaos, Jonathan said his daughter was not thinking of herself.

"It was kind of odd because when he attacked her, the first words out of her mouth were, 'Lord God, save this man's soul. Lord God, save his soul.' She even told one of the doctors here that, 'I couldn't die, knowing that what he was doing to me would send him to hell.' She said, 'If I would have died, he would no doubt spend eternity in hell,'” Jonathan Lambert said.

Through the unthinkable, the Lambert family believes everything happens for a reason.

"I'm in a way thankful, if it was going to happened I'm glad it happened the way it did and that it did happened, because if he would have caught her by himself it would have been a whole different interview going on,” Jonathan Lambert said.

Jonathan said he believes in forgiveness, but does not believe Upshur should walk free ever again.

The Lambert family hopes to move Celestial to rehabilitation soon, doctors said it will most likely take a year for her to fully recover.

Many people have asked how they can help the Lambert family. If you want to help with Celestial’s medical expenses, as this will be a long journey, you can donate here, or through this site.