Patriot Brief
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What Happened: A homeless woman released from a psychiatric hospital allegedly stabbed a tourist mother while she was changing her baby at Macy’s Herald Square.
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Why It Matters: The suspect was freed the same day and allegedly bought the weapon on-site, spotlighting failures in mental health oversight and public safety.
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Bottom Line: A random, violent attack nearly killed a mother and endangered her child, raising serious questions about who is being protected by current policies and who is not.
A horrifying attack inside Macy’s Herald Square two weeks before Christmas is raising fresh questions about public safety, mental health policy, and accountability in America’s biggest cities.
According to court records and reporting from the New York Post, 43-year-old Kerri Aherne allegedly stabbed a California tourist while the woman was changing her infant daughter in a department store bathroom. The attack happened around 3:10 p.m. Thursday on the seventh floor of the iconic Manhattan store.
JUST IN—Kerri Aherne (43) suspect accused of stabbing a woman changing her baby in @Macys is headed jail, and was denied bail. She was released from Manhattan Psych Center Thursday morning, bought a knife @Macys , and told prosecutors “voices” told her to kill someone @1010WINS pic.twitter.com/VFNdJmkCtY
— Mary-Lyn Buckley (@ml_buckley) December 13, 2025
Prosecutors say Aherne had been released from the Manhattan Psychiatric Center earlier that same day. Shortly after her release, she allegedly bought a knife inside Macy’s and went looking for a victim.
“She had purchased a knife at Macy’s and looked for someone to kill because voices in her head told her that she had to kill someone or else she would be killed,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Paul Barker said during Aherne’s arraignment.
The victim, a 38-year-old civilian employee of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, was stabbed in the back, shoulder, and arm. During the assault, her 10-month-old daughter fell from the changing table to the floor. Prosecutors say the mother managed to fight back and subdue her attacker.
Friends of the victim credited “a mom’s instinct” for saving her child. The family’s vacation was cut short as they remained in New York for court proceedings.
Aherne now faces charges including attempted murder, assault, child endangerment, and weapons possession. Authorities also revealed she was previously arrested in 2018 after allegedly making threats involving Sen. Elizabeth Warren and a potential police station shooting.
In a jailhouse interview, Aherne blamed “voices” and claimed the government was controlling her actions.
“It said that I had to go to Macy’s and kill someone,” she told the Post.