Terrifying knife attack at Newark Liberty Airport

😲 North Carolina woman attacked at Newark Airport

😲 Attack appears to have been random

😲 Woman was stabbed in the face

A North Carolina woman visiting New Jersey for a friends wedding was attacked at Newark Liberty International Airport and stabbed in the face.

The terrifying ordeal happened on Sunday as the woman was waiting to board a flight home inside Terminal A.

Thirty-six-year-old Melissa Mauldin told ABC 7 she was watching a little boy play while waiting for her flight, when a man grabbed her from behind and stabbed her in the face.

Mauldin says she did nothing to provoke the attack and the man hit her with such force it broke her nose and cheekbone, according to the ABC 7 report.

The gash from the small knife needed more than a dozen stitches to close.

Suspect recently released from jail

After the surprise attack, bystanders rushed to help Mauldin and Port Authority Police immediately arrested her attacker.

Xiong Jin, 54, was identified as the attacker.

Mauldin told ABC 7 that Jin wasn't there to catch a flight and had no bags. She claims he was just there to hurt someone, and for some reason singled her out.

ABC 7 reports police said Jin had gotten out of jail just two days earlier. He had been service and sentence for assault since 2009.

Jin has been charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon.

It is not known if he has an attorney to speak on his behalf.

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