STRAFFORD, MO. (KTRE) -
Although the 44-year-old former Lufkin man who was
stabbed in Missouri while protecting his son has been released from the hospital,
the journey back to East Texas may be a long, difficult road for him and his
family.
According to Gregory A. Baker's wife, Kimberly Copus
Baker, doctors told them that he won't be well enough to travel for another two
months. Until then, the Baker family will likely be sharing a three-bedroom
home with relatives who live in Strafford, Mo.
"Right now we're staying with family," Kimberly Baker,
said in a phone interview Monday. "Greg is home, but he has 38 staples in his
chest and stomach that will have to be removed on Thursday. He's still in a lot
of pain."
Kimberly Baker said that because they had already
given up their house and were in the process of moving back to Lufkin when her
husband was stabbed, they have no alternative other than bunking with
relatives. She said in all, counting her family, there are 12 people staying at
the three-bedroom home.
"We've depleted just about all of our money paying
for the medications," Kimberly Baker said. "We don't know what we're going to
do."
Gregory Baker's wife said she tried to rent an
apartment in the Strafford area earlier Monday morning. However, because the
people in Corpus Christi that were going employ him as an electrician aren't
going to hold his job for him, the apartment complex's management won't rent to
the family because none of them have a full-time job.
"I told them that we have the money for the deposit and
the first month's rent, but they wouldn't rent to us because none of us have a
full-time job," Kimberly Baker said.
In the meantime, Kimberly Baker and her 15-year-old
son are both trying to find jobs in the Strafford area to help make ends meet
until her husband is well enough to travel. Plus, their church, Bass Chapel,
took up a small love offering for the family that has helped and Gregory Baker's
sister is trying to put together some kind of benefit for the family here in
the Lufkin area, where most of their family still resides.
She said that doctors are afraid that if Gregory
Baker, who was released from a Springfield, Mo. hospital Friday night, does
anything more strenuous than picking up a plate or a cup, it will cause
additional internal damage or reopen his wounds.
On Sept. 19, Strafford, Mo. Police officers arrested
a suspect in the stabbing. Jimmy Alsup was arrested on felony charges of
assault, burglary, and tampering with a vehicle. His bond was set at $75,000.
In a previous interview, Kimberly Baker said they
were about 15 minutes from leaving Missouri and heading back to Lufkin when the
assault occurred. They had found a home in Lufkin, and Gregory Baker was about
to start working as an electrician in Corpus Christi.
Gregory Baker and his son were getting a deep freeze unit out of a storage
unit in Strafford, Mo. when he noticed something wrong. His wife, Kimberly Baker,
said that he noticed that storage unit's lock was cut, and that items were
missing from the truck.
When Gregory Baker went to the front of his truck to
take the keys out of the ignition, he saw a man grab Baker's son. He yelled at
the knife-wielding man, who started backing away with the son.
After pushing his son out of the way, Gregory Baker
started fighting with the man. Kimberly Baker said the man stabbed her husband
four times, rupturing his colon and spleen. However, Gregory baker did not
notice he had been stabbed until after the struggle. He drove his son home, and
was taken by ambulance to the hospital.
The suspect ran away from the storage units, the wife
said.
He saved our son," Kimberly Baker said.
"He's a hero."
Gregory Baker lived in Lufkin all of his life before
they moved to Missouri. Their son attended Hudson ISD.
Copyright 2012 KTRE. All
rights reserved.
Gregory Baker (Source: Kimberly Baker)
