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NJ TRANSIT POLICE ARREST SUSPECT IN UNPROVOKED COLD CASE ASSAULT

Alleged Assailant’s Distinctive Clothing Led to his Arrest

January 29, 2021

NEWARK, NJ New Jersey Transit Police have made an arrest in connection with a brutal unprovoked assault from last year after spotting the alleged suspect at a bus stop over the weekend.

On March 6, 2020, the suspect punched the older victim in the head with a closed fist near the east exit at Newark Penn Station. The victim was knocked unconscious and taken to University Hospital for treatment. The suspect fled the scene. In November 2020, the New Jersey Transit Police Department asked for the public’s help identifying the suspect.

On Saturday, January 23, Officer Eric Singleton noticed a man wearing pants with a unique design that appeared similar to what the assailant was wearing during the assault last year. The man was waiting at the Market Street bus stop at Newark Penn Station.

Officer Singleton detained the suspect, Teddy Johnson, 34, of Newark, who was charged with aggravated assault and was being held at the Essex County Jail pending a court appearance.

“I commend Officer Singleton for his vigilance in identifying and quickly detaining this suspect. This arrest, which occurred more than 10 months after an unprovoked attack, demonstrates that our officers are committed to ensuring the safety of the public and to bringing justice to those who are victimized,” said Chief Christopher Trucillo of the New Jersey Transit Police Department.

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 253 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.