Stabbing Incident at Macy’s Herald Square

A woman, who has been incapacitated, is facing serious charges after allegedly stabbing a tourist at Macy’s Herald Square, where the tourist was changing her baby’s diaper. Prosecutors revealed on Wednesday that the suspect, Kelly Ahern, 43, expressed during her arrest that she “would rather go to prison” than return to a psychiatric hospital.

During a court hearing, it came to light that Ahern confessed to police shortly after the incident, which transpired on December 12. She reportedly attacked a 39-year-old mother from California inside the well-known department store.

According to Assistant District Attorney Paul Barker, Ahern told police that she could no longer bear the conditions of the hospital and would prefer jail over a return to the psychiatric facility.

Dressed in a pink sweatshirt and gray pants, Ahern pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted murder, assault, and endangering a child’s welfare before Judge Anne Thompson.

In a jail interview, Ahern, a former home health aide originally from Massachusetts, shared that she took a taxi from her temporary housing at a Manhattan psychiatric center to the store.

Prosecutors recounted how Ahern purchased a large kitchen knife at Macy’s around 3:10 p.m. and subsequently went to the seventh-floor bathroom, where she stabbed an unsuspecting mother in the back while she was attending to her 10-month-old daughter.

Barker emphasized in court that Ahern was seeking someone to harm, driven by a voice in her head, which told her if she didn’t kill someone, she would be killed herself.

The judge has ordered Ahern to remain in prison and undergo a psychiatric evaluation prior to her next court appearance on February 11.

Prosecutors also noted that Ahern had been hospitalized for a year prior to this incident, focusing on her mental health challenges. If found guilty of the most serious charge, she could potentially face a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.