Sister's long-standing mental illness cited after fatal Times Square stabbing

On Monday afternoon, Pamela Cisneros, 49, carried out a random stabbing near Times Square, killing a woman and seriously wounding a man before police engaged her. Officers first deployed stun guns, which proved ineffective as she swung both arms with knives, prompting them to fire lethal shots; she later succumbed to her injuries at Bellevue Hospital. Her brother, Patrick Peralta, disclosed that Cisneros had long battled mental-health issues, including a suicide attempt at age 19 and a possible bipolar diagnosis, for which she received monthly injections.

Peralta suggested she may have discontinued the treatment, potentially influencing her actions. He emphasized that she had never displayed aggression before and had been in regular contact with family until she stopped visiting their mother a week earlier. The incident highlights concerns about untreated mental illness and public safety in a densely populated area.