Crime & Safety
Man Accused Of Stabbing Aunt In RWC Makes First Court Appearance
Tyler Passanisi, 18, was charged with attempted murder for an alleged attack on his 41-year-old aunt. He is being held on $5 million bail.
REDWOOD CITY, CA — An 18-year-old man made his initial appearance in court Monday to face attempted murder charges for allegedly stabbing his aunt without provocation at a family gathering in Redwood City on Saturday afternoon, San Mateo prosecutors said.
Tyler Passanisi was arrested after the stabbing reported at about 4:50 p.m. Saturday at a home in the 600 block of Oak Ridge Drive.
Passanisi's 41-year-old aunt was at the home when, without warning or any apparent reason, he threw a dart at her, striking her in the head, then jumped on her and stabbed her in the chest with a 9-inch-long serrated kitchen knife, according to the district attorney's office.
Find out what's happening in Redwood City-Woodsidefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The victim was taken to Stanford Hospital for what prosecutors described as a life-saving surgery to the wound to her liver, and sutures were also required to close the dart wound to her head.
Family members said Passanisi suffers psychotic episodes but showed no unusual behavior before the attack, and he allegedly is a habitual methamphetamine user who took the drug earlier in the day, prosecutors said.
Find out what's happening in Redwood City-Woodsidefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Passanisi did not enter a plea at his arraignment Monday and is scheduled to return to court on May 27. He remains in custody on $5 million bail and has been ordered to have no contact with the victim.
Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. — Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
