Store owner attacked at work, in critical condition »
TRENTON » An East State Street store owner was beaten within inches of her life by a deranged man who targeted her for no apparent reason, cops said.
Mustafah Minitee, 28, of Trenton, was charged with aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal mischief.
He attacked the 65-yearold owner of the East State Deli & Grocery inside her store in broad daylight June 17, Trenton Police Lt. Jason Kmiec said.
The deli, which is across the street from City Hall, was ransacked but Minitee didn’t steal anything. The unhinged suspect was standing over the owner, tossing things about the store, but surrendered without a fight once cops arrived.
Minitee had a knife in his pocket but didn’t use it during the attack, Kmiec said.
A witness called 911 after seeing Minitee enter the store and go beserk on the woman, who suffered lifethreatening head wounds and was still listed in critical condition.
The store owner was alert and speaking when cops arrived but couldn’t remember anything about the attack, Kmiec said.
Minitee attacked another woman the same day, prior to the unprovoked beatdown of the deli owner, cops said.
He was charged with simple assault for pushing a 71-year-old woman to the ground without saying a word to her as they walked by each other on Mercer Street, Kmiec said.
The woman was treated at the hospital after complaining of pain to her head and hip. She didn’t suffer any life-threatening injuries, cops said.
Police said they had no previous interactions with Minitee before the attacks, although he was listed as a missing person last year.
East State business owners were high alert as word spread of the woman’s attack.
Ed “NJ Weedman” Forchion, who owns the The Joint down the street, wasn’t on a first-name basis with the deli owner but patronized the business a couple times a week to buy copies of The Trentonian.
As a convicted felon, Forchion isn’t allowed to legally have firearms. He said he’s worried about someone attacking his staff and the “reactionary” police being unable to prevent it.
“You have to be prepared to deal with the sh*t when it happens,” Forchion said.
“These are things that make me wish I had [a gun]. I don’t have the flight gene. And I’m fearful of sh*t like that.”