Autumn Matacchiera has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of a five-year-old girl
A New Jersey woman who threw a stranger’s five-year-old daughter in front of an oncoming train as a ‘human sacrifice’, claims insanity.
Autumn N. Matacchiera, 20, was charged with first-degree attempted murder after she threw the young girl on the tracks at the Burlington township light rail station on January 27.
She told the Courier-Post shortly after the incident she was trying to sacrifice the girl to win the love of a relative.
‘I didn’t think it was anything bad,’ she said. ‘Now, I kind of regret it. People tell me that sacrificing a human isn’t the same as sacrificing the animal.’
On Tuesday, Matacchiera pleaded not guilty during her appearance at the Burlington County Superior Court.
Her attorney told the judge Matacchiera plans to plead not guilty by reason of insanity and will request a bench trial.
Matacchiera’s mother Laura told NJ.com that her daughter ‘has mental health issues’ and has been in and out of mental health facilities for years.
In Matacchiera’s blog linked on her Twitter page, she writes: ‘I have Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bipolar, and Anxiety.’
‘I have been in the mental health system for many years and seen some things change things stay the same.’
Autumn Matacchiera (left) allegedly pushed an unrelated girl in front of Burlington train tracks (right)
Police moved the girl out of the way of the speeding train. She was taken to the hospital for bruises and a cut on her face
‘I want to help other people who are in it. So, this is why I’m writing this.’
The 20-year-old was taken to Lourdes Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation after the January incident. She was subdued and arrested.
Matacchiera, from Hainesport, had been acting strangely on High and Broad streets moments before she flung the little girl in front of the train ,according to police.
Officers walked up to her on the train platform and to their horror Matacchiera threw the five-year-old onto the rail as a train was approaching.
Thankfully, officers jumped on the tracks and were able to signal to to stop. The boyfriend of the mother pulled her to safety.
The scared little girl was taken to Memorial Hospital of Burlington with bruising and a cut on her face.
A trial date has been set for Nov. 8.