Philly woman, 70, used knife hidden in cane to kill man on Main Line, officials say

A 70-year-old Philadelphia woman has been arrested and charged with murder in relation to the death of a 31-year-old man who was stabbed to death by a knife that had been concealed in a cane.

On Tuesday, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Lower Merion Police Superintendent Michael J. McGrath announced the arrest of Renee DiPietro, 70, of Philadelphia, for the stabbing death of Michael Sides, that happened on June 10 in Ardmore.

According to police, the incident came to light at about 1:30 a.m., when officers responded the intersection of Cricket Avenue and Cricket Terrace in Ardmore for a report of a stabbing.

At that location, they found Sides, who was reportedly unresponsive and bleeding from his upper torso.

He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced.

According to police, as the investigation into Sides' death unfolded, officers allege that Sides was killed after confronting DiPietro's son following an earlier alleged physical altercation.

The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office claims that Sides followed DiPietro's son after an incident at a nearby bar that allegedly involved DiPietro's son and a friend of Sides'.

As DiPietro's son attempted to enter a vehicle that was occupied by DiPietro's mother and father, officers allege, Sides confronted the man.

At that time, investigators claim, Sides engaged in a physical altercation with DiPietro's son and DiPietro intervened, pulling a 16-inch blade that, officials believe, she had hidden in a cane.

The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office claims that, on surveillance video taken from that evening, DiPietro could be seen stabbing Sides, causing him to fall, before she struck him again while he lay on the ground.

The DiPietro family then fled in a vehicle that, the district attorney's office said, had a licence plate that was bent in an effort to hinder officers' ability to identify the vehicle.

At no time did any member of the DiPietro family attempt to render aid to Sides, nor did they call 9-1-1 as he lay on the ground suffering from his wounds, officials said.

DiPietro has been arrested and charged with murder, involuntary manslaughter and related offenses.

A preliminary hearing for DiPietro is set for August 22.