Babysitter Stabs 2 Young Girls in Luxury Westchester Neighborhood: Cops

Home located in highly exclusive part of town; Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren live nearby

A 39-year-old relative has been charged in connection with the stabbing of two young girls she was babysitting at their home in Katonah, a luxury neighborhood in Westchester inhabited by the likes of Martha Stewart and Ralph Lauren, police say.

Bedford police went to the house on Girdle Ridge Road after receiving a 911 call from a neighbor requesting help for two stabbing victims just before 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

When the first officer got to the home, he found Lisa Turkki, of East Syracuse, outside the residence and two sisters -- ages 7 and 9 -- with multiple stab wounds on the kitchen floor.

Turkki was arrested at the scene and charged with two counts of first-degree assault. The victims were taken to Westchester County Medical Center with serious injuries. One neighbor said the girls attend Katonah Elementary School.

Police confirmed Turkki is related to the victims, but it wasn't immediately clear how.

No further information on the circumstances of the stabbings was immediately available.

The home is located in a highly exclusive part of town with million dollar estates and properties set far back from the roadway. The average home price in the area, as of 2006, was $912,000. Martha Stewart has owned a 153-acre estate across the street on Girdle Ridge Road since 2000.

The horrific incident in such a wealthy enclave made neighbors gasp.

"This is a very quiet neighborhood. Most of the homes are quite large and the properties are even larger," one neighbor told NBCNewYork. "To give you an idea how exclusive the neighborhood is that's Martha Stewart's propert yand the next property belongs to Ralph Lauren."

But bad things can happen in beautiful places.

Turkki was arraigned in Bedford Town Court and remanded to Westchester County Jail. No information about an attorney for Turkki was immediately available. A phone call to her home was not returned. A message left at the Girdle Ridge Road residence was also not returned. An unidentified man told NBCNewYork earlier in the day that the family did not want to be bothered.

While it does not appear to be a random act of violence that happened amidst the gated driveways and mansions, that doesn't take away from how hard it is for those most affected to cope with the tragedy.

Check here for updates.

Follow us on Twitter @NBCNewYork,and on Facebook/NBCNewYork, and sign up for breaking news SMS alerts on your phone by texting “NYBREAKING” to 639710.

Contact Us