2 Men Indicted For Atlantic City Viral Video Punch of Woman
Two Atlantic City men have been indicted for their roles in the assault of a woman in a city park that was captured on a video that went viral.
Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain says police were notified of the existence of an assault captured on video on October 17, 2015. The video showed a woman sitting in a park, with a man punching her in the face, knocking her to the ground.
Police reviewed the victim, and were able to identify the location of the incident - Brown’s Park at Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and Baltic Avenues - and, the victim - Emily Baccari, 44, of Atlantic City.
As a result of subsequent investigation, on October 18, 2015, Atlantic City police charged Iben Hunter, 25, of the 200 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard, with aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for “striking the victim in the side of the face with a handgun hidden underneath the sleeve of his sweatshirt,”conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a handgun, andpossession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose.The arrest warrant was issued byAtlantic City Municipal Court Judge Billie Moore.
Hunter was located and arrested the next day by Atlantic City police in the vicinity of Kentucky and Arctic Avenues , and lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on $100,000 full cash bail.
Further investigation led to the arrest on October 21, 2016 of Anthony Faulkner, 23, of North Martin Luther King Boulevard, charged with aggravated assaulted and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, for “ recording the assault on his cell phone...while narrating the incident.”Faulkner was lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on$50,000 full cash bail.On Wednesday, February 24, 2016, an Atlantic County Grand Jury indicted both Hunter and Faulkner for two 3rd degree crimes:* Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and* Conspiracy.Hunter was also indicted for three 2nd degree crimes:* Aggravated Assault with Serious Bodily Injury,* Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, and*Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose.Assistant Prosecutor Harlee Stein represented the State in the case.Atlantic City Police Detective Neil Kane led the investigation. A 2nddegree crime carries a potential penalty of 5-10 years of incarceration in New Jersey State Prison; the potential penalty for a 3rd degree conviction is 3 - 5 years in prison.
SOURCE: News Release from Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office