A 48-year-old South Orange resident was stabbed in the neck and back in what appeared to be an unprovoked attack by an unknown assailant Monday night, said police.
The resident was walking his dog on Vose Avenue and Stewart Place at around 8:15 p.m. Monday when he was approached by a man who asked him a question, said South Orange Police Chief James Chelel. “For unprovoked reasons, he began to assault [the man walking his dog],” before running away north on Vose Ave., said Chelel.
The South Orange resident ran back to his house, when he realized that he had been stabbed, Chelel said. “He thought he had been punched.” The man received small puncture wounds to the neck, back and sides and was taken to University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He is expected to be released shortly.
Police do not know what kind of weapon was used.
The alleged attacker is described as black, around 6′ 1″, between 30-40 years old. “He is unknown to the victim,” said Chelel.
Chelel said it is “very unusual” to see an attack involving an unknown assailant.
South Orange Police will have extra patrols in the area for a while, said Chelel. A police car was seen outside the victim’s home Tuesday evening. “We have the area pretty well covered.”
As of now, the police have no leads, but the investigation is still active. Police are reviewing footage from security cameras in the area, Chelel said. Det. Michael Bradley is the lead detective on the case; any residents with information on the attack should call him at (973) 378-7799, x 7797.
Addressing residents’ concerns, Chelel said to always be aware of one’s surroundings, to carry a cell phone and to immediately report anything suspicious to police.
“The Village is very concerned about this unprovoked act of violence with no apparent motive, and I would like to extend our sympathies and well wishes to the victim and his family,” said Village President Sheena Collum in an email to The Village Green. “We know that the South Orange Police Department is utilizing every tool to identify the perpetrator of this assault and we are confident that they will ultimately solve this crime. I want to assure the residents of this neighborhood and the community as a whole, that the SOPD is committed to protecting the safety of our residents and identifying and holding criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
