A 36-year-old North Carolina woman was brutally attacked with a knife at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday night. The horrific event has left travelers and the local community stunned. Melissa Mauldin, who was returning home after attending a friend’s wedding in Hoboken, was waiting for her flight in Terminal A when the attack occurred around 5 p.m. According to Mauldin’s account, she was watching a child play in the terminal when she suddenly felt what she described as a “tremendous blow” to her face.
How Did The Knife Attack At The Newark Airport Terminal Happen?
“He had the knife still raised in the air,” said Mauldin in an interview with ABC 7’s Eyewitness News. “I felt the force from his fist, and the blade was so short,” Mauldin added. Port Authority police officers who witnessed the attack immediately apprehended the assailant, identified as 54-year-old Jin Xiong. Authorities recovered the knife at the scene.
Mauldin was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she received treatment for her injuries. She suffered a severe gash on the right side of her face, requiring 14 stitches. Additionally, she sustained fractures to her cheekbone and nose. Despite the severity of her injuries, doctors did not consider them life-threatening. Port Authority Police Department spokesperson Lenis Valens confirmed that they have charged Xiong with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon.
The suspect, who authorities say is homeless, is currently being held at the Essex County Jail awaiting a court hearing.
The seemingly random nature of the attack has raised concerns about safety in public spaces, particularly in high-traffic areas like airports. Despite stringent airport security measures, this incident starkly reminds us that unexpected dangers can still arise in supposedly secure environments.
“I’ve never not felt secure. And I was telling my fiance Max last night, I feel like all that security is stripped from me and I didn’t even do anything to deserve it,” Mauldin told ABC 7.
