Months before fatally stabbing a banking executive and injuring another person in Times Square, the assailant posted online about a "diminished love of people to the point of stabbing others for no reason." The comments were made in a religion-filled Facebook post on November 30, 2025, by Patricia Cisneros, 49, a mother of three.
Cisneros, who was killed by police during the incident, also wrote about current events and the "end times," referencing war, pestilence, earthquakes, and the persecution of Christians, among other issues. She suggested that these signs were foretold in the Holy Bible and that "the enemy of our souls, Satan, knows that his ending is near and would like to take as many souls to hell as possible."
She further speculated that this spiritual battle might cause some individuals to "hear voices to either kill someone or themselves." In another post a month prior, Cisneros questioned why people feel spiritually empty and succumb to hopelessness, suggesting that help could be found in God.
The attack occurred on a Monday when Cisneros, armed with two kitchen knives, first attacked Tak Kam, 68, stabbing him in the stomach near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue. She then moved a block away and fatally stabbed Erin Piacenti, 32, an executive at Bank of America, before charging at responding officers and being shot and killed. Police identified Cisneros as the assailant. The attack took place in a busy area of Manhattan, a popular tourist destination. Miami-Dade Police Department officers arrested Cisneros in Florida in 2023 for aggravated battery and resisting arrest, records show. In 2021, she was charged with misdemeanor battery, county records show. Details surrounding the resolution of those cases were not immediately available. Cisneros was known to have family in Florida, according to court records.
A social media profile that appeared to belong to Cisneros showed photos of her with family and friends, alongside posts discussing religious themes. The profile also featured reposted comments from others, including one from 2020 that advised, "Always be kind to strangers. You never know what someone is going through."