Two New Jersey bakery operators said they were stabbed by a customer still angry over a 2021 eggplant sandwich order.
Mohammad Assad, 46, was stabbed in the chest and his 41-year-old brother Abed Assad was slashed in the arm Thursday at Baladna Bakery, according to NBC News. The culprit fled and appears to have remained on the loose over the weekend.
NJ.com reported no arrests had been made by Monday afternoon. Police in Newark didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment when asked if a suspect had been identified.
Both brothers were reportedly brought to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, where the elder victim was treated for a punctured lung.
NBC News said the incident occurred shortly after the bakery opened for business Thursday. The attacker allegedly used a box cutter to stab Mohammad, then sliced Abed as he tried ushering the enraged customer out of the shop.
Abed reportedly said he recognized his assailant from a visit four years ago. The suspect visited again recently, but the brothers were too busy to deal with him.
A friend of the victims’ reportedly said the attacker first complained he was cheated out of a hot dog last week and that he was also given an eggplant sandwich during his previous visit.
“I don’t like eggplant,” he complained before the altercation turned violent.
The alleged attacker claimed he’s allergic to eggplant, according to CBS News.
The brothers reportedly offered their attacker a hot dog in exchange for a peaceful exit, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Their family-owned Baldana Bakery was reportedly closed the day after the stabbings. The Assads have been running the business for over a decade.
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