Wayne Schreiner said he owed it to Children's Aid to help restrain an attacker after a man stabbed an aid worker Thursday in Windsor, Ont. (Dennis Porter/CBC)Police in Windsor, Ont., are hailing an unemployed labourer who helped stop a stabbing attack at a Children's Aid building.

A 40-year-old woman is in hospital after a man stabbed her Thursday afternoon in the parking lot of the building where she works.

She and a friend were walking to their cars at lunch when a man on a bicycle rode up to one of the women, stabbed her in the abdomen and then kicked her in the face.

Men working on the roof of a nearby house heard the commotion and yelled at the attacker to stop.

'You're not gonna hurt me!'

Wayne Schreiner heard the shouting and jumped into action.

He and his friend, Jean-Paul Lacounte, had been at the job site hoping to pick up a little work when the attack happened.

"I just ran to the fence and jumped over to see what I could do," Schreiner told CBC News.

The attacker threw stones at the women as they sought refuge in the Children's Aid building, said police.

'Children's Aid's been there for me when I was a kid, they were good to me.'— Wayne Schreiner

Schreiner said the man threatened to hurt anyone who tried to stop him from going inside.

"I told him, 'You're not gonna hurt me!'"

Schreiner followed the man into the building and found him in the family visitation area, where he was swinging a bike lock and threatening staff.

"Everybody was scared, I was a little scared," said Schreiner. "Then I seen a little girl in there crying and I knew I had to do something right away, so I jumped him and put him in a choke hold and then we fell on the ground."

A woman who works at the Windsor-Essex Children's Aid Society, above, was stabbed in the parking lot of the building on Thursday. (Susan Aitken/CBC)Schreiner held the man that way until police arrived, saying the battle was personal and there was no way he was going to let go.

"Children's Aid's been there for me when I was a kid, they were good to me. They took me out of a bad home and they helped me all my life," Schreiner said. "I couldn't not do anything."

Police arrested Donald James Lockwood, 36, of Windsor, who now faces a charge of attempted murder.

Thought police might arrest him

The injured woman was taken to Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital, where she had surgery to remove the knife blade in her abdomen. She is listed in stable condition and is expected to survive.

Schreiner never spoke with the woman, but said he got all the praise he needed later on.

"I went home and told my little daughters about it and they said I was like Mr. Incredible."

A few hours later, Schreiner said four police officers showed up at his door.

"I thought they were coming to get me ... to arrest me for assault," he said. "They came and they thanked me."

Schreiner said he was just glad he had the chance to give something back to Children's Aid for all that agency had done for him.

He is still looking for work. Asked by CBC what work he could see himself doing, Schreiner said, "I'm thinking about security at Children's Aid."