Five months after giving birth: Stabbed to death in Times Square

Erin Piacenti, 32, was on her way home from work last Monday when she was caught in an apparently random stabbing attack in Times Square, Manhattan. She was stabbed in the abdomen by a 49-year-old woman and was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Piacenti, a vice president at Bank of America, had returned to work just that week after a five-month maternity leave. Four days before her death, she posted a picture of herself with her baby daughter and her husband on social media.

In the post, Piacenti wrote about her gratitude for the five months she spent on maternity leave and shared that her daughter had recently been baptized. The young family had even managed to travel to Long Beach Island in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Maine.

On Monday, while walking on West 41st Street near a street vendor, Piacenti was attacked, apparently without any prior acquaintance with the assailant.

Police identified the suspect as Pamela Cisneros, 49. Shortly thereafter, she attacked another person — Tek Kam, 68, from Rhode Island, who had come to New York to visit his son. Kam was injured but is expected to recover.

Police officers who arrived at the scene in Times Square shot Cisneros, who died of her wounds.

A day after the attack, authorities continued to try to understand what led to the event. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that Cisneros had two previous encounters with the police.

The first occurred on December 20, 2018, when officers found her behaving aggressively on Lexington Avenue while under the influence of alcohol. The second encounter occurred on March 6, 2019, when, according to reports, Cisneros tried to jump in front of an E train at the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station in Queens.

"It's heartbreaking"

News of Piacenti's death shocked her colleagues at Bank of America, where she worked in the business selection and conflicts of interest division.

"We are stunned and deeply shocked by the tragic loss of our colleague," the company said. "She was a valued team member and will be greatly missed. Our hearts are with her family and all her loved ones."

Piacenti and her husband, Frank, lived in Chester, New Jersey. Both graduated from Fordham University School of Law in 2021. Her family has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Residents of Chester were also stunned by the murder. Megan O'Hara, 26, who works at a coffee shop on Main Street, said the event "definitely shakes us." According to her, many of the borough's residents commute to work in New York every day. "It feels close to home," she said. "It's like a family member passed away."

Linda Hayes, 62, who manages a bakery on Main Street, said the murder is another reminder of the mental health crisis in the United States. "It happens too often," she said. "And it's getting worse."

Outstanding career

Piacenti studied at the University of Pennsylvania and later at Fordham Law School, where she graduated with high honors and was elected a member of the Order of the Coif, an honor society for law school graduates.

Joseph Landau, dean of the law school, wrote in a letter to alumni that Piacenti was a "vibrant and beloved member of the Fordham Law family." According to him, during her studies, she stood out for her "academic dedication, sharp legal thinking, and her warmth and generosity toward her colleagues."

In her final year at law school, Piacenti was chosen as an editor for the Kaufman Competition, an annual event hosted by Fordham. Ashley Slater, who studied with Piacenti at Fordham, said it was a demanding role. "You have to be a very dedicated, very intelligent, and very organized person," she said. "It's a very difficult job, and she made it look easy."