By: Richard L. Smith
UPDATE: “The adult female victim from the July 4, 2024, assault at an apartment on Park Avenue has passed away. The victim, age 31, was pronounced dead at University Hospital late Saturday afternoon”.
Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II, and East Orange Police Chief Phyllis Bindi have announced the arrest of a suspect in connection with a violent assault that took place during the early morning hours of July 4, 2024.
Around 1:30 a.m., East Orange officers responded to a disturbance at an apartment in the 100 block of Park Avenue.
Upon arrival, they found an adult female and two small children who had all been assaulted.
The victims were rushed to University Hospital in Newark, where the adult female and one of the children were treated for life-threatening injuries.
The other child sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
An investigation conducted by East Orange detectives, with assistance from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Major Crimes and Special Victims units, identified Jihad Hagler, 27, of Newark as the suspect.
Hagler faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and endangering the welfare of a child.
He was arrested by the Newark Police Department for an unrelated incident on the evening of July 4 and subsequently handed over to East Orange and Prosecutor’s detectives for processing on these charges.
Hagler is currently held at the Essex County Correctional Facility, awaiting a court appearance in the Essex County Central Judicial Processing (CJP) court.
The investigation into the assault remains active and ongoing.
