A Philadelphia community activist is accused of stabbing another woman with a box cutter during a fight on a SEPTA train. Rosalind “Roz” Pichardo, 48, is charged with aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of crime with intent, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, harassment, and disorderly conduct. On Friday, July 17, at 9:12 p.m., SEPTA police received a report of a stabbing inside an eastbound SEPTA train on the Market Frankford Line at the 8th Street Station in Center City. When police arrived, they found a woman suffering from stab wounds to her face and chest who was exiting the stairwell of the station. The officers took the woman to the hospital where she was placed in critical condition. She ultimately received 40 stitches on the left side of her face, 30 stiches on the right side of her face, three stitches on her upper lip and three stitches to the upper right side of her chest, according to investigators. The woman’s muscles on the left side of her face also had to be surgically reattached for her to regain movement on her right side, investigators said. One of the officers then met Pichardo inside a train car and took her into custody. The officer also recovered a box cutter inside the train, according to the criminal complaint. Pichardo was taken to Pennsylvania Hospital and evaluated for chest pain and possible injuries to her hands, investigators said. Detectives tried to interview the other woman at the hospital but she was being sedated and treated in the emergency room, according to police. Pichardo, meanwhile, was released from custody pending further investigation due to a lack of witness testimony and video evidence at the time, officials said. Police later interviewed the other woman on Saturday, July 18, and on Monday, July 20. During the interviews, the woman said she was waiting to board a train at SEPTA’s 15th Street Station prior to the incident and wanted to sit down on a bench but a man was standing in front of it. The woman said she asked the man to move over so that she could sit on the bench. The woman claimed Pichardo, who was sitting on the other end of the bench, “wasn’t minding her business” and “got smart with her.” According to the woman, Pichardo commented on how rude and entitled young people were. “I tried to make fun of it, like, ‘Are you OK?’” the woman told investigators, according to the criminal complaint. The woman said she then asked Pichardo, “What’s the issue? Did I ask you to move?” She said she then asked the other man who moved over on the bench if it bothered him and he replied by saying “no.” The woman claimed Pichardo kept getting closer to her face however and the two began to argue. The argument continued as the two women boarded the train, according to the criminal complaint. The woman said she and Pichardo then got into each other’s faces. She claimed Pichardo then told her, “I got something for people like you,” and that she physically bumped her, causing her to push Pichardo back, according to the criminal complaint. The two women then began to fight on the train, investigators said. The woman said she then felt warm and saw blood on her as well as a box cutter in Pichardo’s hand, according to the criminal complaint. The woman said she then exited the train onto the platform at the 8th Street Station and witnesses told her to cover her face. After police completed the interviews and reviewed surveillance video of the fight, Pichardo was arrested and charged. She was released after posting 10% of $25,000 bail on July 22. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 6, 2026. The Office of Attorney General is currently handling the case. NBC10 reached out to Pichardo on Thursday, July 23. She said she acted in self-defense after she was being harassed on the train but did not go into further detail on the record. NBC10 also reached out to Pichardo’s lawyer who said they had no comment. NBC10 asked for surveillance video of the fight. A SEPTA spokesperson said they could not release it since it’s now evidence in an active criminal case. Pichardo is a prominent community activist in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood. Her work focuses on providing support, education and necessities for those struggling with addiction as well as gun-violence survivors and loved ones of victims through her organizations the Sunshine House and Operation Save Our City. In 2025, Operation Save Our City received nearly $20,000 in grant funding for violence prevention from Philadelphia’s Office of Public Safety. The organization has also received $20,000 in opioid settlement funding. ...read more read less