Stabbing Victim's Testimony Helps To Convict Essex County Man

The courageous testimony of a Newark stabbing victim helped to convict her assailant in Superior Court on Thursday.

According to prosecutors, Bolsano Maldonado, 30, of Newark, “brutally stabbed” his former girlfriend in 2012, causing serious bodily injuries.

The 21-year-old victim was hospitalized for serious abdominal injuries and required emergency surgery and hospitalization.

On Thursday, an Essex County jury convicted Bolsano Maldonado, 30, of Newark, with aggravated assault, possession of a knife and possession of a knife for an unlawful purpose.

“The victim in this case was amazing,” Assistant Prosecutor Judith De Rosa, who tried the case, said. “After all she has been through, she was willing to face her abuser in open court and took an active role in the prosecution of the case... Her courage and resilience made all the difference.”

DeRosa also commended an independent eyewitness who observed the assault and tried to fend off the attacker with her umbrella.

Maldonado faces five to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison when he is sentenced. A Mexican citizen, Maldonado was in the United States as an undocumented immigrant at the time of the assault.

Prior to this assault he had been deported on multiple occasions but returned to the U.S., authorities stated.

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 3.