Hudson County Jury Finds Airbnb Host Guilty Of Assault In Which Renter Lost Part Of Ear

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — A Hudson County jury found an Airbnb host guilty of assaulting a renter in 2019, an attack that included biting off part of his ear, according to the office of Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez.

The act occurred on Christmas Day 2019, prosecutors say.

Alexandre Saunders, 30, of Jersey City was found guilty Thursday of aggravated assault after a five-day trial before Judge Patrick Arre.

The jury found Saunders not guilty of weapons offenses and a second aggravated assault charge.

On Dec. 25, 2019, prosecutors said, the Jersey City police responded to a home on Pavonia Avenue on reports of an aggravated assault. Responding officers found a 35-year-old man with a serious injury to his right ear.

The investigation determined Saunders was renting a room to the victim through Airbnb. Following a verbal dispute over payment, Saunders lunged at the victim and bit a portion of his ear off, prosecutors say.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 8.

The state is represented by Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Edward Bilinkas.

Jersey City was developing stricter laws about Airbnb rentals around the time of the attack.

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