HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ — A quiet Monday night turned into a crime scene after a woman arrived at a New Jersey hospital with multiple stab wounds, leading investigators on a manhunt for a 33-year-old Jersey City man accused of a brutal attack inside a parked car and a failed shooting just moments before.
The victim, a 33-year-old woman, was dropped off at HMH Hackensack University Medical Center around 9:25 p.m. Monday with life-threatening injuries. Hospital staff notified local law enforcement after she was found suffering from multiple stab wounds to her torso. The woman, who has not been identified, underwent emergency surgery and survived.
Investigators quickly pieced together that the woman had been stabbed inside her vehicle while parked in Hasbrouck Heights, just minutes from the hospital. The attacker, identified as Yusef E. Muhammad, was reportedly an acquaintance of the victim. Before the stabbing, detectives say Muhammad fired a handgun at the woman but missed. He then allegedly stabbed her several times before driving her to the hospital and fleeing in her vehicle.
The vehicle, a critical piece of the investigation, was later recovered by law enforcement on Duffield Avenue in Jersey City. Muhammad has since disappeared, and efforts to locate him have been unsuccessful.
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced Tuesday that Muhammad has been charged with first-degree attempted murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
Authorities have disclosed that Muhammad was previously employed as a long-haul truck driver, an occupation that may aid him in remaining hidden due to access to cross-country routes and sleeper cabins. Law enforcement is urging anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Tip Line.
Muhammad remains a fugitive from justice, and the search continues.
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Key Points
- Woman stabbed and shot at inside vehicle in Hasbrouck Heights before being driven to the hospital by suspect
- Yusef E. Muhammad of Jersey City charged with attempted murder and remains on the run
- Victim survived after emergency surgery; vehicle later found abandoned in Jersey City