Man randomly stabs teenage girl standing next to her mother at Dollar Tree: Police

A 31-year-old Massachusetts man was arrested after a “random and unprovoked” stabbing attack on a teenage girl standing with her mother at a Dollar Tree store, police said.

The attack happened around 12:38 a.m. Thursday when officers from the Barnstable Police Department were dispatched to a Dollar Tree store in Hyannis, Massachusetts, for a report of a stabbing, the Barnstable Police Department said Thursday. .

Nikolas Rescigno, 31, of Hyannis, Massachusetts, reportedly “approached the young woman from behind at the store’s entrance and stabbed her in the lower back without warning while she stood next to her mother,” according to witnesses. .

“Rescigno was unknown to the victim and this attack appears to be random and unprovoked,” the Barnstable Police Department said. “Additionally, according to eyewitnesses, Rescigno remained at the scene at the entrance and stared at the victim, eventually dropping the knife at the request of a bystander.”

Barnstable Police Officers were able to take Rescigno into custody without further incident.

The unnamed juvenile victim was transported to a local hospital by Barnstable Fire Rescue personnel and is currently being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Rescigno was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and an additional outstanding arrest warrant was issued for failure to appear in court for another knife-related incident at the Cape Cod Mall in May 2023.

Rescigno’s bail was set at $5,000 by a bail judge, and he is scheduled to be arraigned in Barnstable District Court on Friday.

The investigation into the attack is currently ongoing.