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Homeless Massachusetts woman accused of stabbing another woman in Macy’s bathroom in new york city has a history of mental illness, was released from a psychiatric hospital hours before the attack, and claimed voices in her head said she “had to kill someone” or be killed.
Kerri Aherne, 43, stabbed a California woman in the back Thursday while she was changing her baby inside a bathroom at the iconic Macy’s Herald Square.
The victim, who has only been identified by his employment with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, was rushed to Bellevue Hospital and released Friday.
Aherne was accused of attempted murder, two counts of assault, criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with what police have described as an unprovoked attack. She is being held without bail.
Kerri Aherne was charged with attempted murder, two counts of assault, criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with a stabbing attack at Macy’s in New York. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Court records show that Aherne, whose last known address was in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, USAhas a long history of battling mental illness.
Prosecutors said in a criminal complaint that Aherne told police she had been discharged from the Manhattan Psychiatric Center on the morning of the Thursday stabbing after a year-long stay.
She also allegedly said she bought a knife at Macy’s and looked for someone to kill because “voices in her head told her she had to kill someone or they would kill her.”
In 2019, records show she was deemed an incapacitated person and her mother and sister were appointed as her guardians, according to the New York Post.
Aherne was placed on a court-ordered treatment plan to ensure she continues taking Prolixin, an antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia, records show.
Kerri Aherne has a long history of struggling with mental illness, according to authorities. (Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images)
Her Facebook has been inactive since 2018. In one of her latest posts, she wrote, “Going a little crazy,” along with a still image from a Michael Jackson video.
Aherne was arraigned on Friday, with her lawyer telling the court she plans to apply for bail at a future hearing.
When the judge said she would be held without bail until her next court appearance, Aherne interrupted her and pleaded not to send her to another mental health center, reported the New York Post.
Kerri Aherne said she bought a knife and looked for someone to kill because “voices in her head told her she had to kill someone or they would kill her.” (Kylie Cooper/Reuters)
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“I don’t want to go to another hospital,” Aherne said. “They didn’t help me at the Manhattan Psychiatric Center.”
He is due back in court on December 17.
