A Massachusetts man is accused of stabbing a teenage girl as she stood with her mother at a Dollar Tree store during a "random and unprovoked" attack, the Barnstable Police Department confirmed via ABC News.
Nikolas Rescigno, 31, of Hyannis, was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon with serious bodily injury and an additional outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court in relation to another knife-related incident that took place in May 2023. Witnesses at the Hyannis Dollar Tree store said Rescigno “approached the juvenile female from behind in the foyer of the store and without warning stabbed her in the lower backside as she stood next to her mother" prior to officers' arrival at approximately 12:38 p.m. on Thursday (November 7).
“Rescigno is unknown to the victim and this attack appears to be random and unprovoked,” the Barnstable Police Department said via ABC News. “Also, according to the witnesses, Rescigno stayed on scene in the foyer staring at the victim and eventually dropped the knife upon request from a bystander.”
Rescigno was detained by Barnstable Police Officers without further incident and he's currently being held in jail on a $5,000 bond, with an arraignment scheduled in Barnstable District Court for Friday (November 8). The unnamed victim was transported by Barnstable Fire Department Rescue personnel to a local hospital where she received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
Rescigno's outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court stemmed from an incident involving a knife at a Cape Cod Mall.