Who Was Pamela Cisneros? Brother Speaks Out After Bank of America VP Erin Piacenti's Killing

The brother of Pamela Cisneros has spoken out about his sister's life and long-running mental health struggles after police said she fatally stabbed Bank of America vice president Erin Piacenti in a random Times Square attack before being shot dead by NYPD officers.

Patrick Peralta, 59, said his family is struggling to understand what happened to Cisneros, 49, whom he described as a mother of three with a master's degree in psychology. He said she had dealt with mental health difficulties for decades but appeared to have been doing better in recent years.

Who Was Pamela Cisneros?

Cisneros lived in an apartment in Woodside, Queens, and worked on and off with an attorney who specialised in immigration cases, according to Peralta.

Her brother told Gothamist that Cisneros regularly visited their mother and stepfather, often joining them for meals during the week and at weekends.

Peralta last saw his sister in early August at a birthday gathering for their stepfather, which Cisneros had helped organise. The next time he saw her was in news footage following Monday's violence in Times Square.

Peralta said he initially hoped the woman shown in the footage was not his sister. However, he recognised Cisneros after clearer images emerged.

Brother Details Pamela Cisneros' Mental Health Struggles

Peralta said Cisneros had struggled with what he described as postpartum depression and bipolar disorder, with the problems beginning more than 20 years ago after the birth of her second daughter.

He also said Cisneros attempted suicide in 2019.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch separately confirmed that Cisneros had a 'documented mental health history' involving police encounters in 2018 and 2019. Authorities have not publicly provided further details about those incidents.

Peralta said his sister's condition appeared to improve after 2019 with medication.

'She was doing well, like for the last four years, five years. She was getting injections. She was never aggressive,' he said.

The family became concerned shortly before the Times Square stabbing when Cisneros did not make her usual visits. Peralta said relatives tried contacting her, and her mother eventually spoke with her on Saturday. Cisneros reportedly told her mother she was fine.

What Happened in the Times Square Stabbing?

Police said the attack began near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue on Monday afternoon when Cisneros pulled two knives from a Target bag.

She allegedly approached a 68-year-old man and stabbed him in the abdomen before attacking 32-year-old Piacenti about 20 seconds later.

Piacenti was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she died. The male victim was hospitalised and was initially reported to be in stable condition.

Officers confronted Cisneros minutes later and spent about four minutes repeatedly ordering her to drop the knives, according to Tisch.

Cisneros refused and threatened the officers, Tisch said. Police deployed Tasers, but they were ineffective. Two officers then fired at Cisneros after she continued advancing while armed with the knives. She later died.

Bank of America Mourns Erin Piacenti

Bank of America confirmed that Piacenti was one of its employees. She worked as a vice president and graduated from Fordham University School of Law in 2021.

'We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague,' the company said. 'She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones.'

Peralta also expressed sympathy for Piacenti's family and the injured man, saying his family could not explain why the attack occurred.

'Nothing that we can say is going to bring the person back,' he said. 'We feel their pain, too.'