New Jersey bakery owners say they were stabbed for serving customer eggplant 4 years ago
PATERSON, New Jersey (WABC) -- Two bakery owners in New Jersey say they were stabbed over something they served four years ago.
Abed Assad showed up to Baladna Bakery on Main Street in Paterson with his arm in bandages and a sling after he suffered slash wounds to his arm. His brother is still in the hospital fighting for his life.
The business owners say the angry customer ran away after allegedly stabbing Assad and his brother Mohammad inside their family bakery.
The knife-wielding suspect was enraged with the workers over a sandwich he ordered four years ago.
Moneer Simrin, a friend of the victims, says the suspect waked into the bakery around 8 p.m. Thursday complaining about eggplant he wrongly got on his sandwich, saying he is allergic.
"He told him 'you give me eggplant in my sandwich and then my stomach was bothering me' and stuff like that," Simrin said.
The dispute turned violent with Mohammad getting stabbed in the stomach. When his brother stepped into help, he was slashed in the arm.
Both men were taken to St. Joseph's University Medical Center.
Dozens of customers showed up to the bakery on Friday not expecting to be closed.
"It's a nice place -- clean, and the service is great," said one customer.
Business owners say they are concerned for their own safety as police continue to look for the suspect.
Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh is promising swift justice.
"We are actually asking for the cooperation of merchants in the area and we are getting it. So we are fairly confident that we'll get to the bottom of this," he said.
It isn't just taking a physical toll on the family, it is taking a financial toll as well with the bakery still closed until further notice.
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