Community Rallies For Daughter, 5 Months, Of NJ Mom Killed In NYC

CHESTER, NJ — A Chester woman was stabbed to death in New York City this week, and the community is coming together to support her family.

On Monday, just after 4:15 p.m., Erin Piacenti, 32, was one of two people stabbed by a woman wielding two knives in a random attack at Times Square. The perpetrator, Pamela Cisneros, 49, of Queens, who also hospitalized a 68-year-old man during the incident, was shot dead by NYPD police, officials said.

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Erin was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead that day.

Related: Morris Co. Woman Stabbed To Death In Times Square, Cops Say

Erin, whose maiden name is Guiltinan, lived on Deer Hill Road in Chester Township with her husband, Frank Piacenti, and their five-month-old daughter, Madison.

The husband and wife, who attended Fordham Law School together, were married on Aug. 10, 2024, and had just celebrated their second wedding anniversary with a road trip weeks before the attack.

According to her family, Monday was Erin's first day back at work following her maternity leave to take care of Madison.

A fundraiser has since launched to support five-month-old Madison, and more than 5,000 donations have been made in less than 48 hours since it launched.

As of Thursday morning, more than $480,000 has been raised to support the baby girl.

"Becoming a mother was Erin's lifelong ambition, and Madison gave her the greatest possible joy," the fundraiser reads. "This fund has been established to support Madison and her future. It offers the many people who loved Erin, knew her, worked with her, or have simply been moved by her story a way to honor Erin by helping care for the daughter she loved more than anything."

Professionally, Erin was an executive at Bank of America, working as the Vice President of Business Selection and Conflicts since February 2025, according to her LinkedIn profile.

"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague," a Bank of America representative told Patch. "She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones."

Before getting her law degree at Fordham (where she graduated magna cum laude), Erin attended the University of Pennsylvania from 2012 to 2016, where she was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority and Dischord A Cappella, according to UPenn's newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian.

She also served as an alumni admissions interviewer for the school after graduating, the paper adds.

"We are profoundly saddened by Erin Piacenti's tragic and untimely death," UPenn's Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Mark Trodden said in a statement. "Our thoughts go out to her family, friends, and all those who knew and loved her at this difficult time."

Before her time at UPenn, Erin attended Villa Walsh Academy, an all-girl private school in Morristown. It was there she was taught Theology by Chester Borough's current mayor, Janet Hoven.

"I know many of you have been touched by this tragic event," Hoven said in a statement. "Please consider making a donation in support of Erin's daughter. May the Saints and Angels lead her to Paradise, and may she rest in peace."

The fundraiser adds that Erin's career accomplishments speak only to "a small portion of who she was."

"To the people who knew and loved her, Erin was a thoughtful daughter and sister, a loyal friend, a devoted partner and companion in every aspect of Frank's life, and, most recently, an incredibly loving mother to Madison," it reads. "Erin's life was defined not by the circumstances of her death, but instead by the way she lived. Erin was deeply devoted to her family and friends, exceptionally bright and accomplished, and was someone who brought warmth and energy to the people around her."

To donate to Madison's future, visit the GoFundMe here.