Chaos erupted at a Walmart in Nebraska on Tuesday, April 14, when a 31-year-old woman allegedly abducted a 3-year-old boy at knifepoint and began slashing him, prompting police to intervene and fatally stop her.
As the case left many questioning, “How did this escalate so quickly in a public place?” authorities have now shared new details in a press release, shedding light on the child’s condition.
Highlights
- Three-year-old Cyler Hillman suffered serious injuries after being abducted at knifepoint inside a Walmart, requiring multiple stitches and surgery.
- Omaha police intervened swiftly, fatally stopping the attacker, whose history of mental illness and violent incidents has now surfaced.
- Cyler’s parents shared heart-wrenching details of their son’s fear and recovery, as social media was flooded with emotional messages for the young victim.
The boy’s parents, Casey and Sara Hillman, also spoke emotionally about the ordeal, revealing the terrifying moments their child faced.
“I had to take a minute and sit in the corner and pretty much bawl my eyes out, because that broke my heart,” his father shared.
Authorities and family members have revealed the terrifying ordeal the 3-year-old toddler suffered after being abducted at knifepoint
Image credits: 1011 NOW
Trigger warning: this article contains graphic details that may be distressing to some.
Reportedly, around 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, at the Walmart on South 72nd Street in Omaha, Nebraska, 31-year-old Noemi Guzman shoplifted a large knife from the store.
Using the same weapon, she forced a toddler, identified as Cyler Hillman, into a cart and led a female guardian, identified as the child’s mother, Sara Hillman, outside the store with the child.
Image credits: GoFundMe
As officers arrived on the scene and confronted Guzman in the parking lot, she refused orders to drop the weapon and instead began slashing at the child's face and hand.
According to Deputy Chief Scott Gray, Guzman “took possession of the child, essentially kidnapping the child.”
“She refused to drop the weapon,” prompting officers to fatally struck the woman with their firearms at the scene.
Image credits: Omaha Police Department
Addressing why the attack did not immediately draw attention despite occurring in a seemingly crowded Walmart, Deputy Chief Scott Gray told media outlets, “They kind of just purposely but casually walk out of the store, so I don’t think anybody was actually looking at them as being a suspect of anything.”
In a report published by KETV yesterday, April 15, details of the child’s condition were revealed through official Omaha Police Department press releases and emotional interviews with his parents, Sara and Casey Hillman.
31-year-old Noemi Guzman reportedly had a documented history of mental illnesses and violent crimes
Image credits: Omaha Police Department
According to photos obtained by the outlet, Cyler suffered a large, deep laceration across the left side of his face and a significant injury to his hand.
He underwent surgery at Children’s Nebraska and is expected to survive, though he remains deeply traumatized by the event.
In a Facebook post, the toddler’s mother shared that his injuries required “approximately 17–20 stitches in his face and additional stitches in his hand.”
Image credits: Sara Hillman
She added, “The physical healing will take time—but the emotional healing for all of us will take even longer.”
In one image, the toddler was seated in his father’s lap in a hospital room, likely recovering from surgery, clutching a stuffed teddy bear.
Speaking to KETV, Casey shared that Cyler is now afraid to go outside. While in the hospital, he repeatedly asked for his father, a Band-Aid, and to go home.
The terrified child told his parents, “I don't want to go outside. It's scary,” following surgery to repair his sustained wounds
Image credits: Sara Hillman
The heartbroken father recalled, “I walked into his room, and when I got there, it was dang near there had to be seven to 10 cops still standing in there. And they were all tacked out, and everything, and one of the officers was sitting there and told me what happened.”
“And I was just standing there and held the kid and just started crying right there. That's all that I could do. And they said he was just asking for dad and a band-aid and to go home the whole time.”
Image credits: Sara Hillman
Casey added, “His big thing this morning was I don't want to go outside. It's scary. And I had to take a minute and sit in the corner and pretty much bawl my eyes out cause that broke my heart.”
“That's never been that kid. He always wants to go outside, and then he asked me if I'd carry him outside. Yeah, I'm not going to let anything happen to you,” he said. “He's a goofball. He's a fighter. He wants to be tough. Wants to ride a sheep. Wants to ride bulls.”
Cyler suffered serious injuries to his head and hand after being violently slashed by Noemi
Image credits: Sara Hillman
Casey reflected on his son’s resilience, saying, “No, no fear really, no fear at all. Since birth, he's been a fighter. From medical history starting from a week-old preemie… Lots of time in the hospital in the first 90 days."
According to his parents, Cyler was born prematurely, which led to immediate health complications, including preterm lung failure and a diagnosis of failure to thrive.
Both Casey and Sara expressed their gratitude to law enforcement and first responders for saving their son’s life.
To support Cyler’s recovery journey, the family set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of $40,000, of which over $33,000 has already been raised.
As for the deceased perpetrator, Guzman reportedly had a documented history of mental illness and was under supervision following a violent incident in 2024, the details of which remain unknown.
“This boy deserves all the toys in the world. You are a brave boy, much love lil dude,” wrote one social media user
