A man suffered facial injuries after police say he was assaulted with a flowerpot during an altercation in the lobby of a Newark apartment building.
Police are searching for the suspect accused of wielding the planter during the Aug. 1 attack. Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda Sr. is asking for the public’s help identifying the suspect wanted in connection with the alleged aggravated assault.
According to police, the incident took place at approximately 9:47 p.m. at a building in the 500 block of Kenneth A. Gibson Boulevard. Police say the victim was in the building’s lobby when the suspect entered and was questioned by the concierge. The suspect then “became irate, picked up a flowerpot and threatened to throw it at the victim,” police said in a statement.
“A second employee, the building’s engineer, attempted to speak with the suspect, but he would not calm down,” police said.
Security camera footage from the building shows the suspect picking up a flowerpot and striking the victim in the face before fleeing the scene. The victim suffered a broken tooth and a laceration to his chin. He was taken to University Hospital for treatment.
The public safety director is asking anyone with information about the suspect’s identity to call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS. Police say information is confidential and may result in a reward. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the police department’s website.