A New Jersey man clearly doesn’t believe in letting things go — especially when it comes to sandwiches.
In a bizarre and violent turn of events, two brothers who run Baladna Bakery in Paterson were attacked Thursday morning by a man who allegedly held a four-year grudge over a messed-up sandwich order. The owners, Abed and Mohammad Assad, were opening up their shop on Main Street when the man reportedly walked in and started an argument that quickly turned violent.
According to a family friend who was there, the man first confronted a woman working the counter, claiming she forgot to give him a hot dog. When they tried to resolve the situation by offering him $3 and the missing hot dog, he refused. That’s when he brought up an old grievance — a sandwich he ordered years ago that allegedly had eggplant on it. Apparently, he hadn’t gotten over it.
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“He said they gave him eggplant and he didn’t like eggplant,” said Moneer Simrin, a friend of the Assad brothers. “He was just looking for a problem.”
Despite the staff trying to calm him down and even offering store credit, the man reportedly pulled out a box cutter and attacked the brothers. Mohammad was stabbed in the chest, while Abed suffered wounds to his hand and arm. One of the brothers was left with his arm bandaged from elbow to wrist.
The entire incident was caught on surveillance footage from a neighboring insurance business. The video shows the suspect fleeing north on Main Street after the attack. He has not been apprehended.
In a chilling detail, Abed Assad later told NBC New York he remembered the man from four years ago. Apparently, the suspect had come into the bakery several days prior, asking for the owners by name. But they were busy, and nothing came of it — until Thursday’s violent ambush.
The Assad brothers have run the bakery for over a decade and are well known in the Paterson community. While both are expected to recover, the attack has left the neighborhood stunned.
Police are still searching for the suspect, who remains on the run.
