A homeless man allegedly stabbed a North Carolina tourist in the cheek at Newark Airport on Sunday evening, just eight days after completing a nearly three-year sentence, police said.
According to authorities, Melissa Mauldin was waiting for a friend to return from the restroom when she was attacked with a knife by suspect Xiong Jin, 54, a repeat offender, in the departures level of Terminal A at the New Jersey airport around 5 p.m.
Port Authority police witnessed the shocking stabbing, which left Mauldin with severe cuts, and quickly handcuffed the suspect.
In a statement to The Washington Post, Mauldin said the suspects deserve the harshest punishment after their arrest.
“This man poses a significant danger to society and should remain incarcerated in a prison, jail or psychiatric hospital to prevent further harm to others,” Mauldin said.
“No one should have to endure such a traumatic event, and I will do everything in my power to prevent Shion Jin from inflicting further violence on anyone else.”
Mauldin said she had been in Hoboken, New Jersey, for a wedding and was on her way home when the suspect “violently attacked” her from behind.
“I actually make a living from traveling,” she says. He told ABC7We first reported on the stabbing incident on Monday: “I have travelled to many different countries and visited almost every state in the United States.
“I’ve never felt safe before. I was just telling my fiancé, Max, last night that I felt like all my sense of security had been taken away from me. I hadn’t done anything to deserve it.”
Mauldin was taken to a local hospital where he underwent surgery, requiring 14 stitches on the right side of his face, as well as treatment for a fractured nose and cheekbone.
Port Authority police said Jin was charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon and is currently being held in the Essex County Jail.
Sources said Jin is expected to be charged with attempted murder.
Jin allegedly stabbed a corrections officer in New Jersey. decapitate with a sharpened pencil In 2009, and reportedly He stabbed two residents, The couple invited him into their home in 2007, according to two Star-Ledger articles published at the time.
He was also previously accused of trying to stab a Chinese restaurant owner, law enforcement sources said.
According to state Department of Corrections reports, Jin served time in prison at least three times between 2009 and 2024. He was most recently released on Aug. 17 of this year after being charged with aggravated assault.
The Port Authority Police (PBA) said Officer Ryan Mangold’s quick thinking in handcuffing Jin likely saved Mauldin’s life.
“Our officer did an outstanding job, and it started simply because he was in the right place at the right time and did as he was instructed,” PBA president Frank Conti said in a statement. “His immediate actions prevented further injury and may have saved the victim’s life.”
“Our members may encounter situations like this on any given day, on any given tour, but this is another example of police work that many would like to downplay or pretend doesn’t exist.”
