A Scarborough father had just returned home with his five-year-old son when he was attacked by a man accused of breaking into his home.

The man had just arrived at his Harewood Avenue home when he encountered the intruder and decided to confront him.

Toronto police say the two struggled and the suspect stabbed the man in his leg with a screwdriver.

However, police say the man was able to fight back and struck the suspect across the face with what’s believed to be a hockey stick. The suspect then fled eastbound from the home on foot.

A contractor working nearby heard the commotion and said he came over to help.

“He was crying... He said, 'I think my dad's bleeding,'" Craig Hussey said.

“I heard him (the father) yell, ‘I’ve been stabbed,’ and I looked at his leg and his leg was all red, that’s when I realized something bad happened.”

Hussey said he hopped into his truck and tried to track down the assailant after he noticed the trail of blood.

Police officers and members of the canine units scoured the scene, but were unable to locate the suspect.

Neighbours say they noticed someone they considered to be unusual walking around the neighbourhood prior to the incident.

“He was just walking down and having a good look in everyone’s driveways… looking in their back yards from the road,” the neighbour, who did not provide his name, said

He said he wasn't surprised his neighbour put up a fight.

"That guy picked the wrong guy to tussle with," the man said. "My neighbour can handle himself."

Police couldn’t say how seriously injured the would-be burglar is but said he should have a cut on his face and left the home bleeding. He is described as a white male standing about six-feet with a slight build. Police tell CP24 he was last seen wearing a black jacket, black pants and a white hoodie.

Officers and members of the canine unit are searching the area for any clues that will lead them to a suspect.

Former homicide detective and CP24 crime specialist Steve Ryan said confrontations between a home invader and homeowner are “rare.”

“Usually what happens with a break-and-enter suspect is they break into the house and if they hear noises, they go out the door,” he said. “Confrontations are rare but at times, as it happened with this man, he happened to walk into a break-and-enter in progress.”