Dominick Andujar heard his sister Amber's cries for help and raced to her aid allowing her to wriggle free but the attacker then turned on him and he paid with his life.
Both children had their throats slashed by the attacker but only Amber survived, running out into the street with blood pouring from her neck to raise the alarm.
Now their attacker Osvaldo Rivera, who lived near the family in Camden, New Jersey, has been jailed for 110 years
After Dominick’s death, the family were given a diary Dominick had written in from his nursery teacher.
It read: “I am a superhero. I save people.”
The attack happened in September 2012, when Dominick was just days away from starting school.
Mum Debbie, who was separated from the children's father, had recently had an operation and she was in hospital recovering so Amber and Dominick were at home in care of one of their two older sisters.
It was Amber's 12th birthday and she had fallen asleep on the sofa in the early hours when Riveria, 34, broke in.
The terrified girl screamed for help and her desperate cries woke Dominick.
He raced in to the lounge and when he saw Rivera, he rushed forward to save his sister grappling with her attacker but unable to stop him slitting Amber’s throat.
As Dominick fought with Rivera, Amber managed to struggle free - her throat had been sliced so deeply that her vocal cords were exposed.
Blood gushing from her wound, she staggered out of the house and onto the streets for help before collapsing in a pool of blood.
When police arrived at the home, they found Dominick’s body.
Rivera had slashed his throat and fled the scene.
Investigators found defence wounds on Dominick’s small hands from where he’d battled to save her.
Their older siblings were deeply shocked but unharmed.
Mum Debbie was distraught as the loss of her youngest child, saying: “He gave his life for his family.”
Amber underwent two operations to repair her sliced oesophagus and trachea but incredibly, she survived and after a month in hospital, she was discharged.
Despite being deeply traumatised, she was able to help the police and had recognised her attacker as he used to give kids haircuts in the neighbourhood.
She knew his nick-name sounded like ‘Poppy’ and police discovered it was ‘Popeye’ and they were able to track him down to a flat.
They found Rivera hiding behind an upturned mattress and nearby his blood stained trainers that matched footprints at the crime scene.
He asked officers: “How bad did I hurt them?”
He asked officers. He was charged and held on a $5million bail.
At his trial last year Amber appeared in court with the scars of her attack visible on her neck and described how he held a knife to her throat, put his hand over her mouth and assaulted her.
She tearfully described her brother’s heroic actions that cost him his life on the "most terrifying day of my life".
The jury found Rivera guilty of 11 counts including murder, attempted murder and aggravated sexual assault.
He was sentenced to 110 years in prison. He won’t be eligible for parole for 91 years.
Outside of court in a family statement Dominick's sister said: “Grown men wouldn’t do what Dominick did that day. He’s our soldier and will forever be in our hearts until the day we die.”
Linda Ikeji
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