An Upper East Side man is now facing charges including attempted murder after a vicious assault where police say he randomly bashed a stranger in the back of the head with a large glass liquor bottle in an ambush attack, then beat his victim with it repeatedly.
Investigators say 24-year-old Jounathan Maimon is the suspect who approached a 42-year-old man near the corner of Lafayette Street and Prince Street in Soho on Sunday, February 26th, around 3:15 am and beat the victim in the head over and over with what appears to be an empty 1.75 liter liquor bottle — more commonly known as a ‘handle’ because of the handle on the side of the large bottle.
“The entire incident is captured on video surveillance — the [victim] is seen standing alone at a street corner, waiting for the light to change, when the defendant comes up from behind him and hits him with the bottle,” explained Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Madeline Holbrook.
“The [victim] falls to the ground, and the defendant then hits him approximately 6 more times in the head with the bottle, causing the bottle to break,” ADA Holbrook added during Maimon’s arraignment on Friday.
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After the unprovoked assault, police say the suspect — who was seen in video released by detectives wearing black shorts and a white t-shirt pulled back to expose his whole bare chest — took off down Prince Street.
The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital and treated for a brain bleed and multiple cuts, prosecutors say.
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Cops caught up with the Jounathan Maimon — whose address is listed as an Upper East Side apartment building on East 71st Street — four days later on Thursday afternoon. He was placed under arrest downtown, according to investigators.
Maimon is currently in custody following his arraignment Friday on a top count of attempted murder for the brutal assault, as well as weapon possession and criminal mischief charges. Minutes before the attack, detectives say Maimon also used that same liquor bottle to smash the windshield of an Uber driver’s car.
Bail was set at $25,000 cash or $35,000 bond. Jounathan Maimon is due back in court March 8th.
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