Two Atlantic City men were indicted last week for their roles in the assault of a woman in an Atlantic City park that resulted in her hospitalization in critical condition—an assault that was videoed and displayed on Facebook—Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.
On Saturday, October 17, 2015, Atlantic City police were notified by the public of the existence of a video posted on Facebook that depicted a man walk up to a woman sitting in a park and strike her, knocking her to the ground.
Police detectives reviewed the video, identified the location as Brown’s Park at Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and Baltic Avenues, and identified the victim after additional investigation as Emily Baccari, 44, of Atlantic City
Atlantic City police officers who were on routine patrol and searching for a stolen bicycle, found Baccari earlier that day, lying motionless behind a parked vehicle on North Kentucky Avenue.
The officers rendered aid and had an ambulance dispatched to the scene, and Baccari was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center—City Division, where she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with head trauma.
As a result of subsequent investigation, on October 18, 2015, Atlantic City police charged Iben Hunter, 25, of the 200 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard, with aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for “striking the victim in the side of the face with a handgun hidden underneath the sleeve of his sweatshirt,” conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a handgun, and possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose.
The arrest warrant was issued by Atlantic City Municipal Court Judge Billie Moore.
Hunter was located and arrested the next day by Atlantic City police in the vicinity of Kentucky and Arctic Avenues, and lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on $100,000 full cash bail.
Further investigation led to the arrest on October 21, 2016 of Anthony Faulkner, 23, of North Martin Luther King Boulevard, charged with aggravated assaulted and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, for “recording the assault on his cell phone ... while narrating the incident.” Faulkner was lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on $50,000 full cash bail.
On Wednesday, February 24, 2016, an Atlantic County Grand Jury indicted both Hunter and Faulkner for two 3rd degree crimes: aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and conspiracy.
Hunter was also indicted for three
2nd degree crimes: aggravated assault with serious bodily injury, unlawful possession of a handgun, and possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose.
A 2nd degree crime carries a potential penalty of 5-10 years of incarceration in New Jersey State Prison; the potential penalty for a 3rd degree conviction is 3-5 years in prison.