Hillsborough man charged with attempted murder in unprovoked dog walker attack

HILLSBOROUGH – A township man has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing a man in the back while he was walking his dog in the township’s Flagtown section.

Safi N. Hill, 23, of the Flagtown section, has been charged with first-degree attempted murder, third-degree hindering apprehension and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to Acting Somerset County Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart.

At about 2 p.m. Wednesday, township police went to the area of 9th Street and Clawson Avenue for a man who called 911 who said he was attacked unprovoked while walking his dog, Taggart said.

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The victim, also a township resident, told police he had been punched in the back, but Hillsborough officers discovered he was bleeding from suspected stab wounds in his back, Taggart said.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Hillsborough Township Police Department identified Hill as the suspect, and he was taken into custody without incident at his home. Officers also executed a search warrant at his home.

Hill was taken to the Somerset County Jail where he will remain pending a detention hearing in Superior Court.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Hillsborough Township Police Department at 908-369-4323 or via the STOPit app. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Hillsborough man charged with attempted murder in unprovoked stabbing