Woodbridge Township, NJ - One Wounded in Stabbing Outside Race Star Gas Station

One Man Injured in Stabbing at Racestar Gas Station

According to ABC 7, a stabbing occurred at Racestar Gas Station located at 915 Port Reading Ave, Woodbridge Township, NJ 07064.

Police reported a gas station attendant was stabbed in the neck. The incident occurred around 5:15 pm on February 9th. The station attendant attempted to stop a shoplifter; as the confrontation escalated and moved outside, the suspect stabbed him in the neck.

Police arrived at the scene, found the 42-year-old victim, and rushed him to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

The suspect, Harlin Rodriguez, 23-years-old, fled the scene before being located by the Carteret Police Department. Rodriguez was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and robbery, reported ABC 7.

Legal Options of Victims of Gas Station Stabbing

Attorney contributor Brian Kent has worked with numerous victims of violent crime in civil lawsuits. In an interview, we asked Brian to share insight on the legal options of victims stabbed at a gas station and their families below:

“Commercial property owners have a legal obligation to ensure the safety of customers and employees. Property owners should protect those on and around their property by offering adequate security. Examples of security measures include video surveillance and enhanced lighting, but there are plenty more. When a stabbing occurs on commercial property, victims and their families must ask whether there was adequate security. If a victim’s lawyer can prove that adequate security was not provided at the time of the incident, the victim may have grounds for a civil lawsuit against the property owner.”

“A property owner could be considered liable for a stabbing that occurred on their property if the crime was foreseeable. An example of a foreseeable crime is if the owner knew there were increasing crime rates in the area but did not increase security measures. In such cases, the property owner could be deemed negligent and found liable. Victims and their families should secure the services of a violent crime attorney to determine whether the crime involved property owner negligence.”

Sources:

ABC 7 NY