Israel Villegas-Suarez allegedly became enraged after the office closed on Saturday
Israel Villegas-Suarez (Essex County Correctional Facility)EAST ORANGE - Authorities say a Newark man attacked a pair of police officers after becoming enraged by an unsuccessful trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles on Saturday.
Israel Villegas-Suarez, 33, began vandalizing the inside of the East Orange DMV branch after it closed at 1 p.m., apparently before he could complete the business that brought him there, according to Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura.
Two sheriff's officers were stationed outside the South 18th building, and attempted to calm him down and return on Monday, Fontoura said, but to no avail.
"Villegas-Suarez would apparently have none of it as he pushed the officers away and assumed a combative fighting stance," the sheriff said.
A struggle ensued, and Villegas-Suarez allegedly punched each officer, and attempted to gouge out the eye of one.
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Five East Orange officers arrived to help subdue him, and he was placed under arrest and taken to University Hospital for a physical and mental evaluation.
He was later released and taken to the Essex County Jail in Newark, where he remained held on $50,000 bail as of Monday afternoon.
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