ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orange County sheriff's deputies are searching for the man who stabbed his wife, 13-year-old son and 20-year-old daughter. It happened just before 10pm Tuesday at the Cypress Lake at Waterford Apartments on Alafaya Trail.

People who live at the Cypress Lake at Waterford Apartments in east Orange County went to bed wondering what prompted a man to stab his wife, Ritnama Dalton, his 13-year-old son, Mark Dalton, and 20-year-old daughter, Christina Dalton, late Tuesday night.

Channel 9 has learned the suspect's wife and 20-year-old daughter were airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition. The suspect's 13-year-old son was recovering at Florida Hospital East with non-life threatening injuries. Ritnama had multiple life-threatening stab wounds. Christina also had multiple life-threatening stab wounds. Mark had at least one serious but non-life threatening stab wound to the upper torso.

Investigators are calling it a crime of passion. It started as a heated verbal argument between 48-year-old Will Dalton and his wife over her decision to disconnect cell phone service.

GET WFTV NEWS HEADLINES BY EMAIL 9 a.m. Headlines Noon Headlines 4 p.m. Headlines News of the Strange Breaking News Alerts

"I heard the woman shout, 'Help, someone call police.' So I thought, that's the main problem. I went up there. She's on the phone. She said, 'Here, that's 9-1-1,'" said neighbor Farouj Abdalal.

Abdalal said he lives directly underneath the victims' apartment, described as having blood all over the floor.

According to investigators, the son and daughter were in their rooms. They heard a disturbance in another room and the son come out to try to defend his mother. Dalton then allegedly stabbed his son. The injured son then left the apartment to seek help next door.

At some point, Dalton also alllegedly stabbed his daughter.

Deputies spent the night looking for Dalton.

"You've got deputies on the road doing what deputies do. Hopefully this individual will surface and we'll be able to take him into custody without further incident," said Jim Solomons, Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Dalton has a history of domestic violence. He was arrested in April for domestic dispute with wife at the same apartment complex. He is described as 5-foot-11, 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen driving a silver 2005 Acura TL with chrome rims, tinted windows and U.S.Coast Guard tag 4-3-3-V-E. He is believed to be armed with a small knife.

If you have any information about his whereabouts, please call the Orange County Sheriff's Department.