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Tourist changing baby stabbed multiple times in the back at iconic NYC Macy's during holiday shopping rush
By Rachel Wolf, Alexandra Koch, Elizabeth Pritchett, CB Cotton
Published December 13, 2025
A homeless Massachusetts woman was arrested Thursday after allegedly brutally stabbing a woman in the back while she was changing her baby inside a bathroom in the iconic Macy's Herald Square in New York City, in what officials are calling an "unprovoked" attack.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) told Fox News Digital the 39-year-old California woman was changing a baby in a seventh-floor bathroom of the store, when she was stabbed twice in the back and suffered a laceration to her left arm.
Police said the attack was "unprovoked" and there was no contact between the suspect, who has been identified as Kerri Aherne, and the victim prior to the stabbing.
The stabbing victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition and is expected to fully recover.
A homeless woman was arrested Thursday after allegedly stabbing a woman changing a baby inside a bathroom of Macy's Herald Square in New York City. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
The victim, who was visiting from Jurupa Valley in Riverside County, is an employee with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department along with her husband, according to the agency.
"My thoughts and prayers are with my employees and their family during this very traumatic event. I am grateful that they are safe and receiving the care and support they need," LASD Sheriff Robert Luna said in a statement. "I want to thank the NYPD first responders who acted swiftly to bring the suspect into custody. We have made employee support and wellness services available to ensure our personnel have the resources they need during this difficult time."
The duo managed to disarm the 43-year-old suspect and detain her until police arrived, the Los Angeles Patch reported.
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Exterior view of Macy's Herald Square store in New York City. (Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images)
Aherne, whose last known address was in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is charged with attempted murder, two counts of assault, criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the NYPD. She is being held without bail.
Aherne did not have an address in New York, sources told Fox News Digital.
Prosecutors said in a criminal complaint obtained Friday night that Aherne told police she had been discharged from Manhattan Psychiatric Center the morning of the stabbing after a yearlong stay.
She also allegedly said that "she purchased a knife at Macy's and looked for someone to kill because voices in her head told her she had to kill someone or she would be killed."
People shop in Macy's Herald Square ahead of Black Friday and Christmas in New York City. (Kylie Cooper/Reuters)
"We are deeply saddened about the incident that took place [Thursday] as the safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority. We kindly defer any further questions to the local authorities," a spokesperson for Macy's told Fox News Digital in a statement.
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The iconic Macy's Herald Square opened in 1902, and is a popular holiday shopping stop for tourists visiting the Big Apple at Christmastime.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/tourist-stabbed-multiple-times-nycs-iconic-macys-during-holiday-shopping-rush