NEWARK, N.J. (WABC) – A man was arrested after attacking a woman at Newark Airport on Sunday, police said.

Port Police witnessed a man attack a woman with a knife on the right side of her face on the departure level of Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport.

54-year-old Xiong Jin was charged with aggravated assault and illegal possession of weapons.

The woman, 36-year-old Melissa Mauldin of North Carolina, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

She spoke exclusively to Eyewitness News about the random knife attack.

Mauldin said she had just watched a little boy playing in the terminal when the next second she felt a violent blow to the face.

When she turned around, she saw a man standing in front of her with a bloody knife.

“I felt the power of his fist and the blade was so short,” Mauldin said.

Although the blade was short, it inflicted serious injuries on Mauldin’s face. She needed 14 stitches to close the gaping cut. Her cheekbone and nose were also broken.

“I’ve always felt safe. And last night I told my fiancé Max that I feel like all that security is being taken away from me, even though I’ve done nothing to deserve it,” Mauldin told Eyewitness News exclusively.

Mauldin lives just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, and was in the area for a friend’s wedding in Hoboken.

As the ladies were walking home on Sunday evening, Jin stabbed Mauldin in the face, according to police.

Mauldin said she was standing in Terminal A of Newark Airport when the suspect ambushed her from behind, approached her from behind, reached around her and stabbed her.

“He still had the knife raised in the air,” Maudlin said.

The port authority immediately arrested Jin, while strangers rushed to Mauldin’s aid.

“He wasn’t there for a flight, he had no luggage, he had nothing. He was there just with the intention of hurting someone,” Mauldin said.

According to police, Jin has been in and out of prison for assault since 2009.

“Why are you so angry? He’s stabbed several people,” Mauldin said.

According to police, Jin had only been released from prison two days before the incident.

Mauldin hopes Jin stays behind bars and gets help so that what happened to her doesn’t happen to anyone else.

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