Homeless woman viciously stabs mother changing baby in bathroom of NYC flagship Macy’s

A 38-year-old mother from California was visiting the city with her family. She was in the seventh-floor bathroom when the assailant repeatedly stabbed her, according to the New York Post. The alleged perpetrator, Kerri Aherne, 43, was taken into custody on charges of attempted murder, assault, as well as possession of a weapon, police said.

Aherne is originally from Massachusetts and is homeless, law enforcement told the outlet. The victim had been shopping with her husband as well as the 10-month-old baby when the attack occurred. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital and is in stable condition. The woman was treated for the knife wounds on her back, arm, and shoulder.

A Macy's spokesperson said, “We are deeply saddened about the incident that took place today as the safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority." The victim works in California as a civilian in the sheriff's office, and her husband is the sheriff, the outlet reported.

The baby was not hurt during the attack, which took place right before 3 pm. The victim's husband disarmed the suspect and held the homeless woman down before police got on the scene. The report comes as there have been increasing worries over crime in the Big Apple, as Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is set to be at the head of city hall in January.

Mamdani has previously called for defunding the police, and some in the NYPD have reportedly considered leaving because of his election win.