Police Release Name of Stabbing Suspect

Police have released the name of a woman accused of stabbing a caretaker in the neck with a pocket knife in the Westfield Shopping Mall food court Thursday afternoon.

Taina Morales, 22, of 75 Martin Luther King, New Britain was arraigned Friday on first degree assault charges and breach of peace, according to Meriden Police. Morales allegedly stabbed a woman who was leading a Community Mental Health Affiliates (CMHA) group trip to the Meriden mall Thursday around 12:30 p.m.

A CMHA spokeswoman said she could not confirm or deny any facts about the case because it would violate medical privacy laws to say whether or not someone was a patient.

Court documents show that Morales was arrested in New Britain previously. In September 2009 she was charged with threatening in the second degree and interfering with an officer/resisting arrest. According to the records she pleaded guilty to the charges and in April of 2010 received a sentence of 1 year in jail, execution suspended, and 2 years of probation.

On Thurday Meriden Police said that the victim, whose name has not been released, had a non-life-threatening wound and had been taken to Hartford Hospital.