Family reveals decades of mental health struggles for Times Square attacker Pamela Cisneros

Key points

• Cisneros stabbed a 68-year-old man and 32-year-old Erin Piacenti in Times Square on August 31, 2026; Piacenti died at Bellevue Hospital.
• NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers spent four minutes trying to persuade Cisneros to drop two knives; she refused and threatened them.
• Cisneros’s brother, Patrick Peralta, stated she had struggled with mental health for over 20 years, including a suicide attempt in 2019.
• Peralta noted Cisneros had been stable for several years on monthly medication injections but did not appear for family gatherings the week before the attack.
• Cisneros had no prior arrest history with the NYPD, though police confirmed documented mental health incidents in 2018 and 2019.

Background

This incident follows previous coverage of the Times Square stabbing, where authorities described the attack as random and unprovoked. Earlier reports confirmed the fatal shooting of Cisneros and the death of victim Erin Piacenti, while noting that the NYPD was conducting an internal investigation into the use of force. The current reporting adds family perspectives on Cisneros’s long-term mental health struggles and recent medication gaps.

How outlets are covering it

Gothamist and the New York Daily News both emphasize Cisneros’s decades-long mental health history, including postpartum depression and bipolar disorder, and her recent stability. The Daily News adds that Cisneros had posted about 'end times' on social media in 2025 and that her middle child is autistic and lives in a Brooklyn group home. FOX 5 New York highlights the mother’s questioning of why officers did not physically restrain Cisneros, while Gothamist and the Daily News focus on the brother’s shock and the family’s grief. All sources agree that Cisneros had no prior arrest history but had documented mental health incidents with the NYPD in 2018 and 2019.

Why it matters

The case highlights the complex intersection of mental health crises, public safety, and police use of force in high-traffic urban areas. It raises questions about the effectiveness of mental health interventions and the challenges faced by families in monitoring the stability of loved ones with severe mental illness. The incident also underscores the tragic loss of a victim, Erin Piacenti, and the impact on her family and colleagues at Bank of America.

What to watch

The NYPD is expected to release body-worn camera footage and complete its internal investigation into the officers’ use of force. The family of Erin Piacenti has declined to comment publicly, while Cisneros’s family continues to grieve and seek answers about the sudden change in her behavior. No further legal proceedings are anticipated for Cisneros, as she was killed during the incident.