PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A woman has been charged in connection with the separate stabbings Saturday of a woman and a baby boy in Center City.
A little before 8 a.m. Saturday on Chancellor Street, between Juniper and 13th streets, police said a woman stabbed a 24-year-old woman in the chest and hand with a long kitchen knife.
"Completely random. I mean, I watched the video. She's walking eastbound on Chancellor Street, and this offender just runs up quick, stab, runs," said Capt. Frank Banford.
Banford said it played out in much the same way, hours later, around 1 p.m., when the same woman ran up to two parents pushing their 1-year-old twins in strollers on 18th Street, a couple blocks south of Rittenhouse Square.
"It looked like this female just rushed up to them — nothing was said, completely random — tried to stab both children, but got one child in each arm," Banford said.
Both victims are in stable condition.
The twins' father chased after the offender. She escaped, but she dropped a black bag as she ran. Evidence from that bag is what led police to look for a 28-year-old New York City woman, Takeira Hester. She was apprehended around 7:20 p.m. in West Philadelphia.
Takeira HesterPhiladelphia Police Department
On Monday, Philadelphia police said Hester has been charged with several counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and related offenses.
Hester has a prior arrest for aggravated assault in New York, and she has an outstanding warrant, filed two days ago, for aggravated assault, also in New York.
Editor's update on Nov. 25, 2025:
Hester pleaded guilty to aggravated assault charges in September 2025. She was sentenced to 4 ½ to 11 years behind bars.
