A woman from North Carolina was suddenly attacked Sunday night at Newark Liberty International Airport when a man approached her from behind and slashed her face with a knife.
In an interview with ABC, 36-year-old Melissa Mauldin described the terrifying moment as she waited at Terminal A to head home. “He still had the knife raised.”
Women attacked by man with knife at Newark Airport who has an extensive criminal history and was out of jail less than 48 prior to attacking a passenger. This is a major lapse in security and protecting passengers at terminal A.https://t.co/fXu4uu6Y7a
via ABC7NY App— nycphotog (@nycphotog) August 27, 2024
Port Authority police, who were present at the scene, saw the man strike Mauldin on the right side of her face in the departures area of the airport’s new Terminal A.
The attacker, identified as 54-year-old Xiong Jin, was quickly arrested and charged with aggravated assault and illegal possession of a weapon.
Mauldin was taken to the hospital, where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Reflecting on the sudden and unexpected attack, Mauldin explained how she had been watching a young boy play inside the terminal just moments before feeling a heavy blow to her face. When she turned, she saw the man in front of her, holding a knife covered in blood.
The knife left a deep wound on Mauldin’s face, requiring 14 stitches to close. Her cheekbone and nose were also fractured in the attack.
Mauldin, who lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, had been in the area for a friend’s wedding in Hoboken. She and her friends were on their way home Sunday evening when the attack occurred.
Port Authority police swiftly apprehended Jin while strangers came to Mauldin’s aid.
“He wasn’t there to catch a flight—he had no bags, nothing. He was just there to hurt someone,” Mauldin told ABC.
Authorities revealed that Jin has a history of assault, having been in and out of prison since 2009. He had been released just two days before this incident.
Mauldin hopes that Jin will stay in jail and receive the help he needs to prevent others from suffering as she did.
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