Ill Upper East Side woman seeks release after stabbing home aide, prosecutors say attack was deliberate

At a Manhattan Supreme Court hearing, 68-year-old Barbara Salberg was brought in on an oxygen mask and charged with second-degree attempted murder and first-degree attempted assault after allegedly stabbing her home health aide in the abdomen. The incident occurred in a first-floor apartment on East 73rd Street following a dispute over an oxygen mask. Prosecutors, including Assistant District Attorney Kaleigh Shea, said Salberg told the aide she would kill her and called her a derogatory term, describing the act as intentional.

Salberg’s attorney Messina argued her client’s severe medical conditions make Rikers Island unsuitable and that family members could care for her. The court maintained a $100,000 bail, with the possibility of future house arrest with electronic monitoring, and scheduled the next hearing for December 16. If found guilty of attempted murder, Salberg could receive a sentence of up to 25 years.