Police Seek Suspect In Commuter Van Slashing In Clifton
CLIFTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Police in Clifton, New Jersey are close to charging a man and woman in a horrifying attack.
The incident happened on a New Jersey commuter van, as an apparent argument turned into a vicious knife attack, reports CBS 2's Christine Sloan.
The surveillance video on the commuter dollar van shows a man arguing with a male passenger who had just gotten on. The two get into a scuffle, and out of the view of the camera, the unimaginable happens.
"During that confrontation, the person who was already on the bus pulled a knife and he slit the victim's forehead, from one ear to his furthermost eye," Clifton Police Captain Robert Rowan said.
Police say the argument started after the 43-year-old victim asked the attacker to move his feet from the center of the aisle.
The victim, who survived the Monday attack in Clifton despite losing a lot of blood, is helping police identify the man who slashed him, and the woman who was with the attacker.
"We are currently questioning two suspects," Capt. Rowan said. "Hopefully we can bring this to a quick conclusion with two arrests."
The suspect and the woman got off the van at Crooks Avenue and Main Street, fleeing the scene. The victim walked over to a pharmacy and collapsed before help arrived.
"That's scary," commuter Gina Evans said. "I'm on the bus late at night, going from New York to Jersey – that's really scary."
Commuters say the fact that this happened during the day is even more terrifying, making them more suspicious of people.
"A killer could be next to you, and you don't know it," commuter Edward Gonzalez said. "That's kind of frightening."
Most shocking to many is the callous nature of the attack, with the suspect and woman apparently walking off and casually boarding another bus.
The victim, a resident of nearby Paterson, was released from the hospital and is recovering at home.
