Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Deputy Chief Larry Cattano of the Perth Amboy Police Department announced today that a 75-year-old man has been arrested and charged with fatally stabbing another man on a city street, and attacking three others, one of whom was hospitalized after suffering multiple stab wounds.
Anibal Rodriguez of Perth Amboy was arrested on September 3, 2015 on charges of murder, three counts of attempted murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon, following the death of Phillip Willis, 65, of Perth Amboy.
A 36-year-old woman, who also was stabbed, remains at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Her condition was not immediately available.
Two others, a 54-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man, were threatened with the knife, but were not injured.
Police were alerted at 12:52 p.m. to a dispute that began in an apartment building on Madison Avenue.
An investigation determined that Rodriguez attacked his four victims before he was subdued by an on-duty Middlesex County Sheriff’s Officer, who saw the defendant, and with the help of a civilian passerby, knocked the defendant to the ground on Smith Street and handcuffed him.
Rodriguez currently is being held in lieu of $1.7 million bail.
The incident began when Rodriguez became involved in an argument with the 36-year-old woman, stabbed her multiple times, and threatened the 54-year-old female and the 24-year-old male who ran to the apartment building when he heard screams.
Rodriguez left the building and walked toward Smith Street, where he happened upon Mr. Willis, and recognized him as an acquaintance of the 36-year-old woman.
Rodriguez stabbed Mr. Willis, who was taken to Raritan Bay Medical Center, Perth Amboy Division, where he was pronounced dead at 1:45 p.m.
The results of an autopsy by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office were not immediately available.
The investigation is active and is continuing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Marchak of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3254, or Detective Mohamed of the Perth Amboy Police Department at (732) 442-4400.