The mother of the mentally disturbed woman from Queens, who fatally attacked a woman and severely injured a man in a shocking stabbing incident in Times Square, is expressing her confusion as to why the police did not simply "grab" her daughter instead of resorting to lethal force when she advanced towards them wielding knives.
Pamela Cisneros, 49, attacked Erin Piacenti, 32, and Tak Kam, 68, on Monday afternoon, before a cell phone recording captured the moment she was encircled by law enforcement, brandishing a large knife in each hand and threatening to kill them.
Pamela Cisneros' mother questions police
NYPD officers tried to use tasers, but they proved to be ineffective. She then charged at them while brandishing the knives, which led two officers to discharge their weapons, as depicted in the dramatic footage.
Deep Dive
What mental health issues did Pamela Cisneros have?
Why did Pamela Cisneros's family believe she exhibited no violent behavior?
How did law enforcement respond during the encounter with Pamela Cisneros?
Cisneros' mother, who chose not to reveal her name, questioned Fox 5 News in Spanish, “There were so many police... why didn’t they grab her by the arm?”
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Pamela Cisneros was mom of three kids
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Pamela Cisneros was mom of three kids
{{/usCountry}}Cisneros, a mother of three, was declared dead at Bellevue Hospital.
Cisneros has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, as described by her brother to The Post on Tuesday, who noted that she had been undergoing treatment in recent years and had never exhibited any signs of aggression.
Cisneros, residing in Queens, had a recorded history of mental health issues with law enforcement, which included a previous suicide attempt.
Pamela Cisneros suicide attempt and divorce
Officials reported that law enforcement was summoned to events concerning her in 2018, during which she exhibited aggressive behavior at a hotel in Manhattan, and in 2019, when she leaped onto subway tracks in what appeared to be a suicide attempt, as per Eyewitness News.
According to court records, Cisneros' marriage experienced significant issues during this time, prompting her husband to file for divorce in Hillsborough County, Florida, in 2020. The divorce was officially completed last year.
Pamela Cisneros' father says daughter experienced postpartum depression
Meanwhile, Mario Cisneros, the suspect's father, spoke to Eyewitness News and said: “I knew my daughter very well but I didn't know what was going on with her. What I do know is she was getting injections.”
According to her father's account, Cisneros had been undergoing monthly medication injections for a certain type of mental illness prior to the attacks that occurred on Monday afternoon.
Mario Cisneros mentioned that he had seen his daughter the week leading up to the incident and noted that she seemed to be in good condition. He further stated that she was not known to be a violent person.
“We don't understand because the situation reversed,” Cisneros said.
Mario Cisneros said that his daughter's challenges with mental health became evident following the birth of one of her children, which led him to conclude that she was experiencing postpartum depression. "No, this was a situation, how do you say, it's in the hands of God. What she did. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't click," Cisneros stated.