A Staten Island grandmother was viciously stabbed to death after leaving a bank Monday afternoon.

According to CBS New York, Geetha Howie, 63, was allegedly confronted by her killer near her home, police say.

Witness Mark Long told the news station that he heard a struggle and came out to see what was going on.

“At first I thought it was kids messing around and when I came out to look, I saw two people on the ground on the corner. As I got closer, I realized it was a man stabbing a woman.”

Long said he tried talking to the suspect to take his attention away from Howie and yelled for neighbors to call 911.

“I yelled at him to stop and I shouted out to one of the neighbors, ‘call 911.’ And we just faced each other and I just tried to talk to him, keep his attention off the woman until police got there.”

When police arrived, Moore was cradling the 63-year-old, who he had stabbed in the face and chest several times.

Howie was taken to the hospital but died shortly after.

Daniel Fazzina, Howie’s son-in-law, said police came to their home to tell the family what had happened.

Fazzina told the news station that the 63-year-old was a loving grandmother to his child.

“She loved her family. We have a 3-year-old daughter, her granddaughter, who she absolutely loved. They were inseparable. This is a senseless tragedy.”

The family was reportedly planning a trip to Sri Lanka for a relative’s wedding.

Long reportedly cut on his arm during the altercation. He was treated at the scene. He said he wanted to do more to help Howie.

“I just wish I could have done more than I did.”

Police arrested Dantey Moore, 27, for murdering Howie. He is facing charges of assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and murder.

Police told the New York Post they believe the murder was a random attack, though the alleged killer lived in the victim’s neighborhood.

Moore has an extensive criminal history of violence and drug use, with 34 prior arrests on his record.

[Feature photo: Geetha Howie/Facebook]