Police say the man went to the mall to attack his ex-girlfriend.
UPDATE: Cops say suspect arrested after found hiding in closet
JERSEY CITY -- Police are on the lookout for a man accused of attacking two people with an ax at Newport Centre mall last night.
Police say Nelson Lizardi-Moreno, 24, from Newark, went to the Downtown Jersey City mall at about 9 p.m. to attack his ex-girlfriend at the store where she works, attempting to gain entry through the store's back door.
Lizardi-Moreno turned his anger on the woman's boss when she refused to allow him to enter, leaving the 30-year-old Elizabeth woman with severe head injuries, cops say.
A 23-year-old Carteret man who also works at the store wrestled the ax from the assailant, sustaining injuries that are not considered severe, police said.
Both victims were sent to Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health. The woman is in guarded condition -- between critical and stable -- while the Carteret man is in stable condition, JCMC spokesman Mark Rabson said.
Lizardi-Moreno's name was initially withheld because the incident is considered domestic in nature, according to city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill.
Lizardi-Moreno fled the scene and police are "actively pursuing him," Morrill said.
Warrants have been issued for his arrest, as well as restraining orders, she said.
A mall spokeswoman did not immediately return a request for comment.
Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
