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NYPD officers investigate a stabbing scene in Times Square | Source: Getty Images
Times Square Stabbing Suspect’s Brother Feared the Worst When He Saw the News — What She Said to Officers Before the End
Patrick Peralta was watching coverage of a deadly Times Square stabbing when photographs revealed a connection he had not expected: the woman confronted by police was his sister.
Just two days before the August 31, 2026, violence in New York, Pamela Cisneros had told her family she was “fine.” Patrick’s disbelief deepened as the television images showed him what had happened next.
Police vehicles and yellow tape marked off the Times Square area after the August 31 stabbings and police shooting. The scene Patrick Peralta later recognized in news coverage was where his sister’s final hours unfolded. | Source: Getty Images
Her Brother Realized Who He Was Seeing on the News
Patrick, 59, told The New York Post that he last saw Pamela in person on August 10, when the family gathered for their stepfather’s birthday.
Pamela regularly visited their mother, Patrick said, but those visits stopped shortly before the attack. “There was no sign something was wrong,” Patrick said. “Last week she stopped coming to see my mother.”
The family reached Pamela by phone shortly before Monday’s violence. “We called, she said she was fine on Saturday.”
Two days later, Patrick encountered his sister again in a way he could not have expected: while watching television coverage of violence near Times Square.
At first, he brushed off the reports as “typical New York crap.” His reaction changed after photographs from the police confrontation appeared. He recalled:
“That’s when I found out, then I was concerned. I was hoping it wasn’t her.”
Patrick also struggled to reconcile what he saw with his previous experiences with Pamela. “She never showed any aggressiveness or being violent. I don’t know what happened,” he said.
Pamela Had Struggled With Her Mental Health but Found Some Stability
Patrick said his 49-year-old sister had a history of mental health struggles. He was uncertain about the full details of her diagnosis. “I think bipolar, but I don’t know what else was going on,” he said.
Pamela had also experienced postpartum depression after the birth of her second child and attempted suicide several years earlier, according to Patrick.
In recent years, Pamela had been receiving monthly injections as part of her treatment. Patrick said the medication had helped bring some stability to her life.
After Monday’s attack, he questioned whether there had been a change in that treatment. “I think maybe she stopped the injection she was getting and that caused her to act the way she was,” Patrick said.
Sources cited in the report described previous encounters involving Pamela. Police responded to a mental health call in December 2018, when sources said she was intoxicated, screaming, and belligerent on Lexington Avenue. In March 2019, she attempted suicide by jumping in front of an E train in Queens, according to sources cited in the report.
Pamela Cisneros was also a mother of three. Patrick said two of her daughters lived in Florida with their father, while another daughter, who is autistic, lived in a Brooklyn care home.
Two Stabbings Led Police to Pamela Cisneros Near Times Square
Pamela was carrying two kitchen knives in a red Target bag when the violence began Monday afternoon, police said. She first stabbed a man named Tak Kam near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue.
She then walked about a block before stabbing 32-year-old Erin Piacenti, a Bank of America executive from New Jersey. Both victims were stabbed in the abdomen.
Police secured the area near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue as investigators responded to the two stabbings. One victim, Erin Piacenti, later died, while Tak Kam survived the attack. | Source: Getty Images
Police subsequently tracked Pamela to an area about a block away, behind the New York Police Department (NYPD) substation. There, officers encountered Pamela while she was still holding the two knives.
Video of the confrontation, captured around 4:30 p.m., showed police trying to stop her with stun guns as she moved her arms around with a knife in each hand. The stun guns did not stop her, and Pamela continued approaching the officers.
Investigators worked inside the cordoned-off Times Square scene after officers confronted Pamela Cisneros. Police said she was still carrying two knives when they tracked her to an area behind an NYPD substation. | Source: Getty Images
What Pamela Cisneros Said as Officers Tried to Stop Her
As the armed confrontation continued, officers ordered Pamela to put down the weapons. The suspect reportedly told them:
“I’m not dropping anything; I would rather kill both of you. I will kill you.”
Police eventually shot Pamela as she continued approaching them. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she later died from her wounds. Meanwhile, Erin and Tak were reportedly taken to the same hospital, but Erin died from her injuries while Tak survived.
NYPD crime scene investigators remained at the scene after Pamela Cisneros was shot by police and Piacenti was fatally stabbed. Cisneros was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she later died from her wounds. | Source: Getty Images
As previously reported, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch later described the stabbings as a “random and unprovoked attack,” according to CBS News. “At this point in the investigation, we have no reason to believe this incident was an attack of terrorism,” she said.
The First Victim Was Visiting From Rhode Island
Before Tak was named by The Post, earlier reporting identified him as the 68-year-old man who had exited the subway and was waiting with his wife to cross the street near 41st Street and Seventh Avenue.
Tak is from Rhode Island and was believed to have been visiting family in New York, according to ABC7 New York. His next-door neighbor, August DiMartino, spoke about the attack after learning what had happened.
“Absolutely terrible, to just find out that something that horrible can happen to somebody that close to you really makes the community seem vulnerable,” August said.
Investigators examined the Times Square scene after the stabbings and subsequent police shooting on August 31. The 68-year-old victim survived and was released from Bellevue Hospital late Tuesday afternoon, while Erin Piacenti died from her injuries. | Source: Getty Images
ABC7 also spoke with the victim’s family by phone Tuesday. The family declined an interview but provided a brief update on his condition. “He seems fine,” they said. The man was released from Bellevue late Tuesday afternoon.
While Tak recovered from his injuries, Erin’s death prompted new attention to the career and life she had built before the attack.
Erin Piacenti’s Professional Background
Erin worked as a vice president in BofA’s Business Selection & Conflicts team. Her LinkedIn profile lists February 2025 as the start of her position at the bank.
Before BofA, Erin worked at Davis Polk & Wardwell. She joined the law firm as an associate in October 2021 and remained there until January 2025. Her work included mergers and acquisitions, according to her professional profile.
While at Davis Polk, Erin completed a seven-month secondment at Morgan Stanley. She worked in the company’s Legal & Compliance Division from August 2023 through February 2024.
Her relationship with Davis Polk began while she was in law school. She worked there as a summer associate from June through August 2020.
Erin had also worked as a legal intern with Major League Baseball from May through August 2019. Before entering law, her profile lists positions at Bloomingdale’s and internships at Saks Fifth Avenue.
She Graduated With Flying Colors From Fordham Law
Erin earned her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 2021. She graduated magna cum laude and was a member of the Order of the Coif, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Erin also participated in the Fordham Law Review and Fordham Moot Court Board. Her listed academic activities included the 46th Annual Kaufman Memorial Securities Law Competition and the UCLA Cyber Crimes Moot Court Competition.
She received a Legal Writing Award and was a Mary Daly Scholar. Before attending Fordham, Erin studied at the University of Pennsylvania. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2016.
After graduating from Fordham in 2021, she began her associate position at Davis Polk that October. She moved to Bank of America in February 2025.
Erin Piacenti Had Recently Celebrated a Personal Milestone
Erin was married to attorney Frank Piacenti. The couple had recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary, according to People. A wedding image of the couple also serves as the profile picture on Erin’s private Instagram account.
They had also purchased their first home in Chester, New Jersey, in September 2025, according to property records obtained by the same publication. Chester is about 40 miles west of New York City.
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Frank graduated cum laude and was a member of the Fordham Law Review, according to his professional biography at Kasowitz. He practices complex commercial litigation.
Before joining Kasowitz, Frank clerked for U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore in the Southern District of Florida. While attending law school, he also served as a judicial intern for U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska in the Southern District of New York. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in 2018.
Erin and Frank’s connection to Fordham later became part of the university’s response to her death.
Bank of America Called Erin Piacenti a ‘Valued Teammate’
Bank of America issued a statement after Erin’s death. “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones,” the company said in a statement provided to Reuters.
Matthew Koder, president of Global Corporate & Investment Banking, also addressed Erin’s death in an internal memo reviewed by Reuters. Koder described her as a “cherished teammate and friend.”
“Erin was a valued member of the Business Selection and Conflicts team, having joined the bank 18 months ago,” Koder wrote. “Her loss is being felt deeply by many.”
Erin Piacenti had worked as a vice president on Bank of America’s Business Selection & Conflicts team since February 2025. The bank later described her as a valued colleague whose loss was being felt across her team. | Source: Getty Images
Koder said Bank of America’s security teams were “fully engaged” in supporting the police investigation and addressing the safety and security of the bank’s offices and employees. Bank of America’s One Bryant Park office is near Times Square.
Fordham Remembered Erin and Frank as Members of Its Law Community
Fordham University also released a statement following Erin’s death. “We are heartbroken to learn of the tragic and senseless loss of our alumna, Erin [Guiltinan] Piacenti,” a university spokesperson told CBS News.
The university noted that Erin and Frank both graduated from Fordham Law in 2021 and had remained connected to the school. Fordham extended its condolences to Frank and their loved ones.
“During this devastating time, our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathies are with Frank, their families, and all who knew and loved Erin,” the spokesperson said.
ondoho.com does not support or promote any kind of violence, self-harm, or abusive behavior. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. ondoho.com speaks out against the above mentioned and ondoho.com advocates for a healthy discussion about the instances of violence, abuse, sexual misconduct, animal cruelty, abuse etc. that benefits the victims. We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
