Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 29-year-old HARSHKUMAR H. PATEL of Piscataway, NJ on charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and possession of a weapon. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Englewood Cliffs Police Department under the direction of Chief William Henkelman.
As previously reported, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit was notified on Saturday, June 15, 2024, that on Friday, June 14, 2024, at approximately 5:34 p.m., the Englewood Cliffs Police Department responded to a stabbing on Sylvan Avenue. Responding officers located a 30-year-old victim who was transported via ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center, treated, and released.
Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Englewood Cliffs Police Department initiated an investigation into the incident and the identification of the suspect who fled the scene. It was determined that the suspect approached the victim while the victim was in a vehicle exiting a parking lot on Sylvan Avenue. The suspect stabbed the victim several times through the open window of the victim’s vehicle before fleeing. Detectives further concluded that the suspect was a stranger to the victim, and the attack was unprovoked.
As a result of the investigation, on Saturday, June 15, 2024, HARSHKUMAR H. PATEL was identified as the assailant. PATEL was located in Piscataway, NJ and arrested outside of his residence by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Englewood Cliffs Police Department, along with assistance from the New Jersey State Police Fugitive Task Force and Piscataway Police Department. PATEL was charged with one count of first-degree attempted murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2/11-3a; one count of second-degree aggravated assault in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1B(1); one count of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 39-4D; and one count of fourth-degree possession of a weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(D). PATEL is currently held in police custody at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, NJ, awaiting his first court appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Englewood Cliffs Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the Piscataway Police Department, and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.