Police said they recovered a kitchen knife from a bathroom trash can after last Tuesday's stabbing at Elmhurst Hospital
A Queens woman did not have to be strapped to a gurney and rushed to a hospital when she was attacked last week, that's because she was already inside Elmhurst Hospital.
Last Tuesday, Lizette – who suffers from diabetes and lupus – stopped by the hospital to pick up her medication. She said she stepped inside a women’s bathroom and entered a stall, but the door lock did not work properly. Suddenly, she said another woman forced her way into the stall and asked Lizette if she was done.
Lizette said the woman pulled out a kitchen knife and motioned for her to be quiet because a hospital employee was still in the bathroom. She said the woman stabbed her in the chest once and ran out of the bathroom.
It took five stitches to close this stab wound, which almost punctured the lung of the mother of three from Queens.
Police have identified the alleged attacker as 35-year-old Shasheena Adams from Long Island City.
Investigators said they recovered a kitchen knife that was found in a bathroom trash can. Adams pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges and remains in custody until her next court hearing.
Lizette will have to inevitably return to Elmhurst Hospital for her usual medical check-ups, which will likely bring up traumatic memories.
"You're not supposed to get injured in the hospital, you're supposed to come out better," her daughter, Evelyn Alvarez, told NBC New York.
Guests entering Elmhurst Hospital’s ER waiting room have to pass by a metal detector. Lizette’s family said that’s not enough and is calling on hospital administrators to beef up security measures across other areas of the public hospital.
"It makes me worried, what if this happens again?" Alvarez added.
NYC Health + Hospitals did not immediately respond when asked for a comment about the incident and Elmhurst Hospital security protocols.
