A homeless man allegedly stabbed a North Carolina tourist in the cheek at Newark Airport Sunday evening — just eight days after the suspect finished serving a nearly three-year prison sentence, according to cops.
Melissa Mauldin was waiting for her friend to come back from the bathroom when repeat offender Xiong Jin, 54, allegedly assaulted her with a knife at the Terminal A departures level in the New Jersey airport around 5 p.m., authorities said.
Port Authority police witnessed the shocking stabbing — which left Mauldin with a nasty gash — and quickly cuffed the suspect.
Mauldin, in a statement to The Post, said her accused attacker should face the most severe punishment following his arrest.
“This man poses a serious danger to society and should remain in custody – whether in jail, prison, or a psychiatric facility – to prevent further harm to others,” Mauldin said.
“No one should have to endure such a traumatic event, and I am committed to ensuring that Xiong Jin does not inflict further violence on others.”
Mauldin said she was in New Jersey for a wedding in Hoboken and on her way back home when she was “violently attacked” from behind by the suspect.
“I actually travel for a living,” she told ABC 7, which first reported the stabbing Monday. “I’ve traveled to all different countries, I’ve been to almost every state in the United States.
“I’ve never not felt secure and I was telling my fiancé, Max, last night I feel like all that security has been stripped from me and I didn’t even do anything to deserve it.”
Mauldin was taken to a local hospital where she received 14 stitches across the right side of her face and was also treated for a fractured nose and cheekbone.
Jin was charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon, Port Authority Police said. He is currently in Essex County jail.
Sources said Jin is expected to face an upgraded charge of attempted murder.
Jin allegedly stabbed a New Jersey corrections officer in the neck with a sharpened pencil in 2009, and allegedly stabbed two residents after they invited him into their homes in 2007, the Star Ledger reported in a pair of articles at the time.
He also was once accused of trying to stab the owner of a Chinese restaurant, law enforcement sources said.
A state corrections report indicates Jin served at least three stints behind bars between 2009 and 2024. He was most recently released on Aug. 17 of this year following an aggravated assault rap.
The Port Authority Police PBA said the quick thinking by officer Ryan Mangold, who cuffed Jin, possibly saved Mauldin’s life.
“Our officer did an excellent job, which started with him simply being in the right place at the right time, walking his foot-post,” PBA President Frank Conti said in a statement. “His immediate actions prevented further injury and possibly saved the victim’s life.
“It is this type of situation that our members may find themselves in on any day, on any tour, yet it is another example of police work many would like to downplay or pretend does not exist.”
