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NEED TO KNOW
- A woman accused of stabbing a tourist inside a Macy’s flagship store bathroom in New York City last month was indicted this week on charges of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault and more
- Kerri Aherne, 43, allegedly stabbed the 39-year-old woman on Dec. 11, 2025, during the peak holiday season when tourists flock to the Herald Square store for its festive window displays
- The suspect, who has a reported history of mental illness, pleaded not guilty to the charges on Wednesday, Jan. 7
A woman accused of stabbing a tourist as she changed her baby’s diaper inside a Macy’s bathroom in Manhattan during the busy holiday season was indicted this week.
Kerri Aherne, 43, was indicted in New York State Supreme Court on one count each of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault, second-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said in a press release on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
A spokesperson with the district attorney’s office tells PEOPLE Aherne pleaded not guilty and is expected back in court on Feb. 11.
Her defense attorney, Kevin Sylvan, did not share details regarding Aherne’s reported history of mental illness while speaking to reporters Wednesday.
“I do have to get some more information myself,” Sylvan said, per Spectrum News NY1. “We’re collecting it through my investigator and other staff people, and we have to talk with other medical professionals who’ve been treating her in the past.”
Prosecutors previously said during Aherne’s arraignment that she had been released after a year-long stay at a Manhattan psychiatric ward on the morning of Dec. 11, 2025 — hours before the alleged stabbing happened — and wandered into the Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street, WABC, FOX News and NBC New York reported.
According to the district attorney’s office press release, which cites the indictment, Aherne allegedly purchased a knife and then later approached a 39-year-old woman from behind and stabbed her as she was changing her 10-month-old baby’s diaper in a seventh-floor bathroom.
Prosecutors called the alleged attack “unprovoked.”
ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty
“The victim eventually managed to grab the knife from Aherne and throw it to the other end of the bathroom,” the release states, adding that the baby also “fell from the changing table onto the floor.”
The victim’s boyfriend along with store security workers were able to restrain Aherne, of Tewksbury, Mass., before police arrived and arrested her on the scene. The victim was taken to the hospital with two stab wounds to her back, and cuts on her arm and hand that authorities say required stitches, per prosecutors.
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“The thousands of families that visit Manhattan during the holiday season deserve to be safe while shopping and celebrating with their loved ones,” District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said in the release.
He added, “This tourist was attacked inside one of the city’s largest and most frequented department stores, posing public safety implications for employees, visitors, and New Yorkers alike. I wish the victim a swift recovery.”
Multiple news outlets, including FOX 5 NY and ABC 7 have reported that the victim was visiting from California at the time. Her name has not been publicly released by authorities.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
