Prosecutors say a Philadelphia woman used a 12-inch butcher knife to stab two women in broad daylight Monday in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The attack appears to be random and possibly the result of a botched robbery.
The victims were Canadian tourists ages 80 and 47. Investigators say they may have been mother and daughter.
Bail for the suspect, Antoinette Pelzer, was set at $1.5 million -- cash only -- during her preliminary hearing on Tuesday afternoon.
Pelzer shook her head and appeared confused at times during the hearing, laughing at one point as a judge read the allegations against her and asked if she'd hired a lawyer.
The stabbing happened across the street from Bally's Casino, in front of the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, police told NBC10 reporter Ted Greenberg. Prosecutors say one of the women was attacked while trying to help the other. Officer Jacob Abbruscato was patrolling the area at the time and says he saw Pelzer stab one of the women, ordered her to drop her knife and arrested her.
"The officer was there and intervening within 13 seconds of the beginning of the attack," according to Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel.
Both women died at the hospital.
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Pelzer's aunt told the Associated Press that Pelzer, 44, has been battling schizophrenia for many years and has been homeless since January.
