FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Fairfax County (web | news) police say a 42-year-old man has been charged in a stabbing at a Falls Church apartment.

Authorities say Jose Argueta, who has no fixed address, was charged with two counts of malicious wounding in the stabbing of a 68-year-old woman and a 2-year-old girl Tuesday afternoon in the 3400 block of Glen Carlyn Drive.

The victims are in serious, but stable condition. Police say additional charges against Argueta are pending.

The stabbing occurred shortly after 2 p.m. Police say a man in an upstairs apartment heard the commotion, confronted Argueta and struggled briefly with him.

Police say Arguela then fled to a nearby apartment building, where another man disarmed and subdued him until officers arrived.

Fairfax County detectives spent much of Tuesday evening carefully going through the apartment of 66-year-old Carmen Mejilla where she and the two-year-old girl she was babysitting were stabbed by Argueta.

ABC 7 News reporter John Gonzalez spoke to the woman's nephew Carlos Guzman. "He told us the man who lives next to her went in and stabbed her and a baby. I don't understand why," Guzman said.

Guzman says his aunt runs a daycare for neighbor's children. After receiving a call at around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, police found the woman and the toddler both suffering from multiple stab wounds to the chest.

The terrified parents of the girl rushed to the scene. "The person who did this needs some help. This is not normal behavior for someone who has all their senses," said Pedro Jimenez, a neighbor.

Tuesday night, ABC 7 News spotted children being removed from the building. The suspect was detained by police at a nearby apartment shortly after the incident and was arrested.

"Our detectives are trying to piece everything together. Our detectives are working to find the relationship between the people -- what happened, how it happened," said Officer Tawny Wright of the Fairfax County Police Department.

In the meantime, the extremely diverse area is stunned. Neighbors can't think of any reason why anyone would want to harm a small child and an elderly woman described as a loving nanny.

"Thoughts and prayers go out to those involved -- definitely a young innocent victim was hurt here. It's very unfortunate," said Jimenez.

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