The founder of a Philadelphia nonprofit dedicated to violence prevention is facing multiple felony charges after authorities say she allegedly attacked another woman with a box cutter during a confrontation aboard a SEPTA train earlier this month.
Rosalind Pichardo-Kent, founder of Operation Save Our City, has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault along with five additional assault- and harassment-related offenses, according to CBS News, citing court records.
The incident occurred on July 17 along SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line. Transit Police responded to reports of a stabbing at the 8th Street station, where officers found two women who had been involved in a physical altercation. Both had sustained injuries and were transported to local hospitals for treatment, according to SEPTA officials.
According to an affidavit cited by The Philadelphia Inquirer, the dispute began on the station platform after the victim asked a man who was blocking a bench to move. The woman told investigators that Pichardo-Kent commented about “how rude young people are” and criticized her for making the request.
The victim alleged that the confrontation continued after both women boarded the train. According to investigators, the argument escalated until “both got in each other’s face and started fighting each other.”
During the altercation, authorities allege that Pichardo-Kent used a box cutter to slash the other woman. The victim told investigators she suddenly felt warmth on her face followed by “a lot of blood,” according to the affidavit.
Court documents cited by The Philadelphia Inquirer state that the victim suffered severe cuts to her cheeks and chest. The injuries reportedly required approximately 70 stitches as well as surgery to restore muscle movement.
Following the incident, Pichardo-Kent was taken into custody.
Neither SEPTA nor Operation Save Our City immediately responded to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Operation Save Our City describes itself as an organization focused on supporting individuals affected by violence, addiction, grief, and trauma. According to its website, the nonprofit provides trauma-informed care, life-saving education, violence prevention workshops for young people, and basic necessities for those in need.
The organization also operates Sunshine House, a community center offering harm-reduction services, overdose prevention training, and assistance for people experiencing addiction and homelessness.
The charges come just days after Pichardo-Kent appeared in a CBS News Philadelphia interview discussing a separate shooting in the Kensington neighborhood. During that interview, she expressed concern about public safety on the city’s transit system.
“It’s frustrating that not even the SEPTA trains are safe or underneath the SEPTA trains are safe,” she said.
Pichardo-Kent also referenced her own recent encounter on public transit, telling the station she had been attacked on the Market-Frankford Line.
“I’m also speaking from experience, losing many people to gun violence here in Philly, particularly my brother’s case, which is currently unsolved, and also being attacked on Friday on the Market-Frankford Line, which resulted in a stabbing,” she said.
The criminal case will now move through the Philadelphia court system as prosecutors pursue the charges against the nonprofit founder.
