Friends of new mom Erin Piacenti, who was killed by a mentally ill woman amid a pair of unprovoked stabbings in Times Square, are seeking ways to support the victim’s infant daughter as her family grieves her senseless death.
The slain mom and her husband, Frank Piacenti, had recently returned from a family road trip, according to the fundraiser. After weeks spent visiting Newport and Bar Harbor in Maine, and Newport, RI, the new mom and her husband were ready to settle into life with their new daughter when tragedy struck.
A GoFundMe seeking $250,000 to support Piacenti’s baby girl was launched on Wednesday, just two days after the 32-year-old mom was killed on her first day back to work following a five-month maternity leave, according to the fundraiser.
“Becoming a mother was Erin’s lifelong ambition, and (her daughter) gave her the greatest possible joy,” Shray Gupta said in a statement posted on GoFundMe. “Funds raised will be dedicated to supporting (her daughter) as she grows up surrounded by the family, friends, stories, and memories that will allow her to know just how remarkable her mother was.”
Erin was at W. 42nd St. and Seventh Ave. in Midtown when Pamela Cisneros, 49, stabbed her in the abdomen just seconds after she wounded a 69-year-old man standing with his wife about a block away, cops said.
Police, who confronted the alleged stabber moments after she attacked the new mom, opened fire on Cisneros following a roughly four-minute standoff when she approached officers while swinging knives she held in both hands, according to NYPD officials.
Both the stabbing victims and the suspect were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where Piacenti and her killer died, according to sources.
“Erin’s life was defined not by the circumstances of her death, but instead by the way she lived,” Gupta said. “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.”
“Erin and Frank celebrated their second wedding anniversary this summer. (They) were preparing to build a life together with their new daughter,” Gupta said. “That life changed incomprehensibly in an instant.”
Cisneros had three daughters and struggled with mental illness and postpartum depression, an ongoing battle that led to multiple hospitalizations and a suicide attempt in which she threw herself on the subway tracks, her family said.
Piacenti was vice president at Bank of America’s business selection and conflicts team, where in her 18 months at the company she earned a reputation as “a trusted partner” and “a cherished teammate and friend,” according to President Matthew Koder.
“This is an unacceptable and horrible incident, and a heartbreaking loss for Erin’s family, loved ones, and all who knew her,” Koder said in an internal memo obtained by the Daily News.
She started her career as a buyer at Bloomingdale’s and previously worked at Davis Polk for several years before joining Bank of America, according to the GoFundMe.
Piacenti graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied political science and sang in an a cappella group, the Penn Dischord, according to the fundraiser.
Her solo performances — “Love Me Harder” and “Break Free” by Ariana Grande, and “Hold My Hand” by Jess Glynne — were posted to the a cappella group’s YouTube channel in 2014 and 2015.
Piacenti graduated magna cum laude from Fordham University School of Law, where she met her husband, a fellow student, and was inducted into the school’s Order of the Coif, according to a statement released by Fordham Law Dean Joseph Landau.
“Erin was a vibrant and cherished member of the Fordham Law family. During her time at Fordham, she distinguished herself through her academic devotion, sharp legal mind, warmth, and generosity to her peers,” Landau said in the statement.