Bank executive stabbed to death near Times Square, five months after giving birth

Erin Piacenti, 32, was killed in a random knife attack near Times Square while returning from maternity leave. Suspect Pamela Cisneros was shot dead by NYPD officers.

Bank of America executive killed in random stabbing near Times Square, weeks after maternity leave

Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old Bank of America executive, was fatally stabbed near Times Square in New York City on Monday in what police described as a random and unprovoked attack. Toronto Sun Crime reports that Piacenti had only recently returned to work after completing her maternity leave, five months after welcoming her first child.

The suspect, Pamela Cisneros, 49, stabbed two people before officers shot and killed her. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the assault as "a random and unprovoked attack." After the stabbing, Cisneros left the scene and walked toward an NYPD substation, still carrying two knives. Officers ordered her to disarm.

"During the encounter, she told the officers, 'I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.' She repeated, 'I will kill you,'" Tisch told reporters. Cisneros was pronounced dead at a hospital. Tisch confirmed she had a "documented mental health history."

Piacenti, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Fordham Law School, was rushed to hospital but did not survive her injuries. A second victim, a 68-year-old man whose identity has not been released, suffered life-threatening injuries and remained in hospital in stable condition.

Friends and family paid tribute to Piacenti through a GoFundMe page, where they described her as a "beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend." Donations, the page noted, would go toward supporting her baby daughter Madison's future.

"Becoming a mother was Erin's lifelong ambition, and Madison gave her the greatest possible joy," the fundraiser read.

The family described Piacenti's professional achievements as only a fraction of who she was. "To the people who knew and loved her, Erin was a thoughtful daughter and sister, a loyal friend, a devoted partner and companion in every aspect of Frank's life, and, most recently, an incredibly loving mother to Madison," the page stated.

Piacenti and her husband Frank had recently marked their second wedding anniversary and returned from a family road trip shortly before her death. "They were preparing to build a life together with their new daughter," the fundraiser noted. "That life changed incomprehensibly in an instant."

As of the time of publication, the GoFundMe had raised more than $626,000.

Source: Toronto Sun Crime