Arrested for Aggravated Assault Englewood NJ

An Englewood New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for stabbing his roommate in the heart.

According to Bergen County prosecutors, the 23-year-old suspect got into a verbal dispute with the 27-year-old victim, his roommate, on August 21, 2014. The argument occurred at the Englewood NJ residence shared by the suspect and the victim. The home is located on West Palisade Avenue in Englewood, New Jersey.

The argument reportedly revolved around a “household issue.”

At some point, the verbal altercation became physical and turned into a violent fight. The fight ended when the suspect grabbed a knife and stabbed the victim.

The victim was briefly treated at the scene by EMT personnel and then rushed to a nearby hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery for a puncture wound to his heart.

Meanwhile, the suspect fled the scene of the attack. Englewood police officers later tracked down the suspect and placed him under arrest.

The suspect was subsequently charged with numerous crimes, including attempted murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and aggravated assault.

Now the suspect has reached a plea agreement with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. The plea deal calls for the suspect to plead guilty to the aggravated assault charges in exchange for prosecutors dropping the more serious charges of attempted murder and weapons offenses.

The suspect recently appeared in Bergen County Superior Court, located in Hackensack NJ, and entered his guilty plea.

The suspect will have to return to Bergen County Superior Court at a later date, when he is expected to be sentenced to a term of incarceration of six years in NJ State Prison. In addition, because it is a violent crime under the No Early Release Act, the defendant must serve at least 85% of his prison sentence before being released on parole.

On the attempted murder charge, the defendant was facing 10-20 years so a plea to a second degree aggravated assault with a 6 year sentence saved him a large amount of prison time.

Additionally, the suspect could be subject to deportation after serving his sentence because he is reportedly an illegal immigrant and native of El Salvador.

Weapons Charges, Aggravated Assault in Englewood NJ

For further information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “N.J. Man Admits Stabbing Housemate in Heart, Report Says.”