Two deli workers in Paterson, New Jersey, were allegedly stabbed by a man who claimed he was given the wrong order—four years ago.
The incident took place around 8 a.m. on July 31 at Baladna Bakery, where the suspect allegedly attacked two employees, brothers Abed and Mohammad Assad, according to NBC New York. The brothers have owned the bakery for over a decade.
Authorities told PIX 11 that the man first confronted a female employee before allegedly slashing both brothers with a box cutter.
A friend of the victims, Moneer Simrin, told NBC New York the suspect had previously complained about not receiving a hot dog and returned this week demanding compensation.
“He said, ‘She forgot to give me the hot dog.’ Okay, take the hot dog and $3 and just leave,” Simrin recalled. “And he’s like, ‘No, because I got a sandwich last time and they gave me some eggplant and I don’t like eggplant.’ He’s just looking for a problem.”
“They tried to tell him, ‘Just leave, please.’ And he got the knife,” Simrin added.
Mohammad was stabbed in the chest, and Abed was wounded in the hand and arm. Both were taken to St. Joseph’s Medical Center, where Mohammad was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and Abed was treated for cuts.
NBC New York reported that the suspect had shown up at the bakery days earlier asking specifically for the owners. Assad said he recognized the man from the previous dispute.
Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh told PIX 11 that the original complaint stemmed from the suspect allegedly being served an eggplant sandwich instead of an egg sandwich four years ago.
According to CBS New York, the man claimed he became sick from the eggplant due to an allergy.
Sayegh noted that the incident has left the local community shaken.
“This type of thing does not happen in that area, so I tried to assuage some of the fears, allay their concerns and reassure them that the police department is completely focused on bringing whomever is responsible for this tragic, violent incident to justice,” he told the outlet.
Surveillance footage from a nearby business reportedly shows the suspect fleeing the scene on foot, per NBC New York.
As of now, the suspect remains at large, according to PIX 11 and CBS New York.
