UPDATE: Man charged with attempted homicide after stabbings

Two ambulance workers and an off-duty police officer disarmed a man as he stabbed his wife and daughter-in-law in a car Wednesday at 24th and Hamilton streets in Allentown, police said.

The daughter-in-law was seriously hurt with multiple stab wounds and wife suffered moderate to minor stab wounds. Police arrested the assailant, said city police Capt. Daniel Wiedemann.

It happened after 3 p.m. while the car was stopped at a red light at the intersection.

Two workers from a private ambulance transport service stopped at the intersection and said they noticed a commotion in a car also stopped at the traffic signal.

"Two cars back, there was an off-duty (Allentown) police officer who also got out of his car," Wiedemann said.

They opened the car door, pulled the attacker off the victims and disarmed him, Wiedemann said.

"They pulled him right out of the vehicle with the knife in his hands," the captain said.

One of the ambulance workers, Giovanni Grella, said he and his partner opened the driver's door and the off-duty officer opened the passenger door.

"I realized the lady was all bloody," he said. "Somehow we had him held and the girl that was being attacked fell out and he went after her.

"Somehow he got out of the car and jumped at her and we somehow knocked him down where he couldn't get her. From there it was like me and four other guys all of a sudden, and we finally got the knife out of his hand."

Police did not immediately identify the others involved. Wiedemann said there's no doubt the actions of the ambulance workers and the officer saved lives.

The ambulance belonged to Romed, a private ambulance and transport service based in Philadelphia.

Freelance photographer Mike Nester contributed to this report.

Jim Deegan may be reached at jdeegan@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_deegan. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.