Four years ago, a customer at Baladna Bakery ordered an egg sandwich and was mistakenly given eggplant instead. Last week, he allegedly went back and stabbed the owners because of it.
ABC7Baladna Bakery in Paterson, New Jersey, where the stabbing occurred.
The two owners of Baladna Bakery in Paterson, New Jersey, were recently attacked by a “knife-wielding customer,” allegedly over an eggplant sandwich they mistakenly served four years ago.
The suspect, who remains unidentified, reportedly entered the bakery on the morning of July 31 in a fit of rage before brandishing a box cutter and stabbing Abed and Mohammad Assad. The brothers sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The man then fled from the store, and the police say he is still at large.
An Incorrect Order From Four Years Ago
According to a friend of the victims, Moneer Simrin, the man entered the bakery shortly after 8 a.m. on July 31, complaining about an eggplant sandwich he had been served, claiming he is allergic to the vegetable and that the food made him ill.
“He told [Mohammad], ‘You give me eggplant in my sandwich and then my stomach was bothering me,’ and stuff like that,” Simrin told local news station ABC7.
Apparently, the man had ordered an egg sandwich from the bakery — four years ago.
CCTV FootageAlleged camera footage of the angry customer.
The brothers told NBC New York that the man first confronted a woman working at the counter about his order.
The brothers then offered the man a hot dog and a refund and asked him to leave. The irate customer, however, had other plans.
“And he’s like, ‘No, because I got a sandwich last time and they gave me some eggplant and I don’t like eggplant.’ He’s just looking for a problem,” Simrin said. “They tried to tell him, ‘Just leave, please.’ And he got the knife.”
The Violent Incident Is Sparking Fear Among Local Businesses
Both brothers were taken to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center to be treated for their stab wounds.
After attacking the two owners, the man reportedly ran away, heading north on Main Street. Video from a mounted camera outside the business next door shows the customer running through the streets.
Abed Assad was released from the hospital shortly after, his arm bandaged from elbow to wrist and in a sling. His older brother, meanwhile, remained in the hospital due to a punctured lung.
ABC7Bakery owner Abed Assad’s bandaged arm.
Abed did not want to speak on camera, but he told NBC New York that he recognized the suspect from 2021. He had apparently come into the shop several days earlier looking for the brothers, who were too busy to speak at the time.
“I heard screaming, so I went outside to see,” a witness named Samer told CBS News. “I see one of the bakery owners outside holding his arm. His arm was bleeding. It’s surprised everybody because they’re very nice people.”
The situation was naturally concerning for both customers and other local business owners, who said they now fear for their own safety as well.
“They’re concerned,” said Paterson Mayor André Sayegh. “This type of thing does not happen in that area, so I tried to assuage some of the fears, allay their concerns, and reassure them that the police department is completely focused on bringing whomever is responsible for this tragic, violent incident to justice.”
After reading about this bizarre, sandwich-related crime, learn about the history of the sandwich and how gambling led to its invention. Then, read about the Gemini 3 space mission and the infamous corned beef sandwich incident.
