Prosecutors called her a danger to herself and others. Then she tried to kidnap a toddler.

Key Points:

• Noemi Guzman, a 31-year-old woman with a history of schizophrenia and violent behavior, was shot and killed by Omaha police after she held a toddler at knifepoint and slashed the child’s face and hand in a Walmart parking lot.
• Guzman had a long history of mental health struggles and violent incidents, including attempts to set her father’s house on fire and breaking into a priest’s home with a knife, for which she was found not guilty by reason of insanity and ordered to outpatient treatment.
• Despite prosecutors’ concerns about her danger to herself and others, a county judge released Guzman on her own recognizance with conditions, highlighting challenges in the criminal justice system’s handling of individuals with severe mental illness.
• The case underscores systemic issues in Nebraska, where many communities lack adequate mental health resources, and a significant portion of pretrial detainees suffer from mental health disorders, complicating efforts to provide effective treatment and ensure public safety.
• Following the incident, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen called for a review of the state’s criminal, detention, and mental health systems to address gaps that allowed Guzman, a known danger, to remain free and harm others.