An upstate New York man was charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing three members of the same family, including a 4-month-old baby, in broad daylight, officials said Thursday.
The violent confrontation began shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the town of Amsterdam, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect, 29-year-old Chad Pacillo, had a “brief interaction” with an adult male working outside a home on Log City Road, Sheriff Jeffery Smith said at a press conference Thursday. Pacillo lives on the same street.
“Our investigation shows the suspect had initially left the property, then returned in a vehicle, and began stabbing the adult male,” Smith said. “As the incident unfolded, the adult female exited into the garage area while holding the infant after hearing the disturbance. The suspect then stabbed both the adult female and the child.”
The woman managed to flee the scene and call 911. Deputies arrived minutes later and used a Taser to arrest Pacillo after he reportedly refused to comply with verbal commands.
All four individuals were taken to nearby hospitals but were later released, officials said. The victims were transported to Albany Medical Center, while Pacillo was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Amsterdam.
The suspect was later arraigned and booked into the Montgomery County Correctional Facility on $100,000 cash bail or $500,000 bond, according to Smith. He’s scheduled to appear in court at a later date.
Pacillo was previously charged with assault following a 2021 incident in Amsterdam, officials confirmed. He was sentenced to two years of probation and was discharged early after successfully complying with all terms and conditions, according to Smith.
He’s now charged with three counts of second-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree assault, two counts of attempted assault, and one count each of burglary and criminal possession of a weapon in connection to Wednesday’s attack.
A motive for the triple stabbing has not been identified, officials said.
When asked about Pacillo’s mental health, Sheriff Smith said the suspect was evaluated at the hospital and later released into custody. He is not believed to have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the stabbings.
According to Smith, the neighbors didn’t have many interactions prior to Wednesday’s attack.
“The only [other] incident was about a month ago,” Smith said. “There was a call that he was trespassing on their property and deputies responded and informed him that he’s not allowed to do that, not to be on the property. There was no further incidents that night or following.”