The fifth and final suspect wanted in connection with the bloody assault of a city man earlier this month has been arrested. Watch video
NEWARK — The fifth and final suspect wanted in connection with the bloody assault of a city man earlier this month has been arrested, city officials announced Wednesday.
Tevone Craig, 20, of Newark, surrendered himself to police Tuesday, and was later taken into custody at the department's 3rd Precinct facility, said Newark Police Department spokesman Captain Derek Glenn.
Craig now faces charges of robbery, aggravated assault and conspiracy, said department spokesman Glenn said.
Authorities say Craig was one of five men who allegedly attacked attacked the victim at Broad and Market streets Jan. 10, video of which was uploaded to social media.
Four other men arrested in connection to the beating—Jahid Smith of Irvington, 18, and Newark residents Corey Sabb, 21, Joshua Craig, 18, and Julio Pendola, 28— all face similar charges.
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The search for suspects began after Newark police interviewed the victim in the attack, which occurred around 1 p.m. near Broad and Market streets, one of the busiest intersections downtown.
According to police reports, the 28-year-old victim, whose name is being withheld, told investigating officers the attack began as a confrontation over cigarettes.
Their confrontation led to a fight, during which several men began kicking and punching the victim, the reports said.
Footage of the beating, which surfaced last Sunday, show the victim growing increasingly bloody and unsteady as the attack moved from the sidewalk to the street and back again.
The attack carried on for several minutes, despite the presence of a mini-precinct less than a block away, the footage shows.
Asked about police presence in the area at the time of the beating, Glenn said a two-officer patrol unit assigned to the mini-precinct was responding to the scene of a separate incident in the 200 block of Market Street as the assault was occurring.
Newark police did not learn the assault had taken place until after viewing video of the incident posted to social media, Glenn said. An investigation by department officers was initiated immediately afterward, he added.
In the days following the beating, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose called the incident "unacceptable," telling NJ Advance Media he and police officials intend on implementing a comprehensive plan to "step up" presence of the city's metro police division, which patrols the areas in and around downtown.
The city police department has since supplemented Metro Division with additional personnel from the mounted and motorcycle squads, Glenn said.
Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.