Grandmother Arrested in Child Stabbing Case in Paterson

An incident in Paterson, NJ has taken a dark turn, with charges now being brought against the grandmother of a 5-year-old child who was brutally stabbed. Aurora Villacorta, 51, is accused of committing this act in a third-floor apartment on Carroll St.

The child was quickly transported to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, where Mayor Andre Sayegh reports that she is now in stable condition.

#njmornings 51 year old Aurora Villacorta of Paterson is charged with stabbing her 5 year old granddaughter multiple times Wednesday afternoon. The granddaughters condition has been upgraded to stable but remains hospitalized. Updates on @News12NJ pic.twitter.com/6Ti6yiyAQL
— Tony Caputo (@TonyCaputo) October 12, 2023

Aurora now faces serious charges, including aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child. She is due in court on October 16, 2023 for a pre-trial detention hearing. If she’s convicted of all charges, she could face upwards to 30 years in prison.

This incident is an addition to what Mayor Sayegh calls “one of the most violent weeks in recent memory.” Since the beginning of October, there have been five homicides in Paterson. In another tragic incident, on the same Wednesday evening, a victim was shot in the head.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1–800–4-A-Child or 1–800–422–4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.