Melissa Mauldin, 36, recounted her terrifying experience in an exclusive interview with Eyewitness News. As she anxiously awaited her departure at Terminal A, she found herself face to face with a man holding a raised knife.
Xiong Jin, a 54-year-old suspect, has been taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault as well as unlawful possession of a weapon.
Mauldin suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital for medical treatment.
Mauldin vividly remembers the suddenness of the attack. She was peacefully observing a young boy playing inside the terminal when, without warning, she was struck with a powerful blow to her face.
As she turned around, she was startled to find a man standing right in front of her, gripping a knife that was stained with blood.
“I could feel the impact as his fist connected with my body, and the blade he was wielding was surprisingly short,” Mauldin recounted.
“I’ve never felt insecure before. And I was discussing with my fiance, Max, last night, how I feel like all my sense of security has been taken away from me, even though I haven’t done anything to deserve it,” Mauldin expressed.
John Mauldin, a resident of the outskirts of Charlotte, North Carolina, found himself in the vicinity due to his attendance at a friend’s wedding in Hoboken.
The attack happened as the ladies were heading home on a Sunday evening.
As strangers rushed to help Mauldin, the Port Authority police swiftly arrested Jin.
According to Mauldin, the individual in question did not have any intention of catching a flight or carrying any luggage. He arrived at the location solely to cause harm to someone.
According to the police, Jin has a history of being in and out of prison since 2009 due to assault charges.
“Why are you so evil?” Mauldin questioned, pointing out the fact that he had stabbed multiple people before.
Jin had been released from jail just two days prior to the incident, according to the police.
Mauldin desires for Jin to stay incarcerated and receive the necessary assistance to prevent others from experiencing the same fate as her.
