Dorchester Woman Stabs Man in Coop

A 60-year-old Dorchester woman was arrested Sunday afternoon shortly after stabbing a 37-year-old man as he stood in the vestibule of the Coop's book department on Palmer Street.

Ten minutes after the stabbing, the assailant, Judith Marcinko, threw a hammer at Cambridge Police officers as they tried to arrest her on JFK St. and had to be subdued by police, said Det. Frank Pasquarello of the Cambridge Police Department.

Marcinko was charged with assault with attempt to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault by means of a dangerous weapon, and was arraigned yesterday in Middlesex District Court.

The victim, whose name was not released, was stabbed in the back and taken to Beth Israel Hospital, Pasquarello said.

He was released from the hospital yesterday, Pasquarello said.

According to Pasquarello, police were notified that a woman was "pulling a knife" on people in Harvard Square earlier in the day but could not determine the reason for her erratic behavior.

"She just happened to be walking down the street and for no reason picked [the victim] at random," Pasquarello said.

According to Lillian E. Gutwein '99, who was in the bookstore at the time of the stabbing, the victim, a heavy-set man wearing glasses, was screaming and said an old lady dressed in black with white hair had stabbed him.

The victim said the assailant was wrapped in a black shawl so that he could hardly see her face, said Jason J. Jay '99, who was in the Coop with Gutwein.

Jay said the man's screaming initially took him by surprise.

"At first we thought it was just some kind of joke," Jay said. "He was shuddering and crying so I thought he was having some kind of psychotic episode."

A Coop employee helped the victim sit down inside the store and remove his jacket, finding blood on the victim's hands, Gutwein said.

At one point, a group of Coop employees departed from the scene to make sure the woman did not enter the main Coop building across the street, Gutwein said.

Jeremiah P. Murphy '73, president of the Coop, said the store's employees handled the situation properly, letting the police take control when they arrived.

"Everybody was concerned [Sunday] when it happened, but the police care of the situation," Murphy said. "Occasionally, some kind of violence will happen in a public place and we have to deal with it."

According to Pasquarello, the stabbing was an episode of random violence, and should not be taken as a never know when something like this is going to happen."

Despite Marcinko's arrest, Gutwein said she remains concerned.

"It's just really scary how random and unexpected violence can be," she said.

Jay said the incident also left him shaken

According to Pasquarello, the stabbing was an episode of random violence, and should not be taken as a never know when something like this is going to happen."

Despite Marcinko's arrest, Gutwein said she remains concerned.

"It's just really scary how random and unexpected violence can be," she said.

Jay said the incident also left him shaken