Homeless man stabs North Carolina tourist in the cheek at Newark airport

A homeless man allegedly stabbed a North Carolina tourist in the cheek at Newark airport Sunday night — just eight days after the suspect completed a nearly three-year prison sentence, police said.

Melissa Mauldin was waiting for her friend to return from the restroom when repeat offender Xiong Jin, 54, allegedly attacked her with a knife in the departures area of ​​Terminal A at 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 handcuffed the suspect.

Mauldin, in a statement to the Post, said his accused attacker should face the harshest sentence after his arrest.

“This man poses a grave danger to society and must remain in custody – whether in a jail, prison or mental health 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 was returning 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 assault Monday. “I’ve traveled to different countries, I’ve been to almost every state in the United States.”

“I never felt insecure and I was telling my fiancé, Max, last night that I felt like all that security had been taken away from me and I hadn't done anything to deserve it.”

Mauldin was taken to a local hospital where she received 14 stitches on 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 the Essex County Jail.

Jin is reportedly set to face a more serious charge of attempted murder.

Jin allegedly stabbed a New Jersey corrections officer in the neck with a sharpened pencil in 2009, and stabbed two residents after inviting him into their home in 2007, the Star Ledger reported in two articles at the time.

He was also accused of trying to stab the owner of a Chinese restaurant, police sources said.

A state corrections report indicates that Jin spent at least three stints behind bars between 2009 and 2024. He was most recently released on August 17 of this year following an aggravated assault.

Port Authority Police (PBA) said the quick reaction of Officer Ryan Mangold, who handcuffed Jin, may have saved Mauldin's life.

“Our officer did an excellent job, which began with the simple fact that he was in the right place at the right time, stepping on his pole,” PBA President Frank Conti said in a statement. “His immediate actions prevented further injury and may have saved the victim’s life.”

“This is the kind of situation our members could find themselves in on any day, on any tour, and yet it is another example of police work that many would like to minimise or pretend does not exist.”