Man spews anti-gay slurs in Paterson, NJ stabbing, cops say

🔴 A 35-year-old man was stabbed early Tuesday in Paterson's Fair Street Projects

🔴 The attacker accosted the victim with anti-gay slurs during the assault, officials say

🔴 Damian Padilla, 42, was taken into custody shortly after the stabbing

PATERSON — A man stabbed a victim several times and verbally accosted him with anti-gay slurs early Tuesday, according to authorities.

Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said a 35-year-old man along with a 41-year-old woman were assaulted with a knife around 3:50 a.m. on Fair Street in Paterson. The man was stabbed several times as his assailant made several anti-gay comments before and during the attack.

The victims were taken to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson for treatment. The woman had lacerations in her left leg but Valdes did not disclose if the same person stabbed both the man and woman.

Valdes did not disclose the circumstances of the stabbing.

Suspect quickly located

Based on a description by the victims, Damian Padilla, 42, was located near the initial scene and taken into custody by Passaic County sheriff’s deputies, according to Valdes.

Padilla faces several charges including first-degree bias intimidation, second-degree aggravated assault, third-degree possession weapon for an unlawful purpose and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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