Collingswood Brewery Stabbing Suspect Acted Erratically Throughout The Day: Court Docs

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — A prior conversation at a coffee shop proved pivotal in arresting the man accused of Saturday night's stabbing at a Collingswood brewery, according to court documents Patch obtained.

The shop was one of several places where Tahaa Elmogahzy behaved erratically on Saturday, before stabbing and critically injuring a man in an unprovoked attack that night at Raccoon Taproom, according to the affidavit into his arrest.

Elmogahzy, 27, of Collingswood, was charged with attempted murder on Tuesday for the Raccoon Taproom incident. He was arrested that afternoon.

• Read more: Arrest Made In Raccoon Taproom Stabbing In Collingswood: Officials

After Saturday's incident, detectives interviewed witnesses and reviewed surveillance footage that showed Elmogahzy's whereabouts on Saturday. Witnesses from different locations said he was acting erratically throughout that day, the affidavit says.

Initially, detectives were unable to identify Elmogahzy. But surveillance footage from a Haddon Township coffee shop led them to the answer.

Detectives learned that a man who matched the stabbing suspect's description had visited Royal Mountain Coffee Roasters around 1 p.m. Saturday, his affidavit says.

Investigators from the Camden County Prosecutor's Office reviewed the footage from the cafe on the White Horse Pike, which contained audio. The man in the video introduced himself as Tahaa to a patron inside the shop, according to the affidavit.

Investigators put his name in the database, which revealed recent police contact with a man named Tahaa Elmogahzy. It's unclear what prompted the prior interaction with police.

The database also revealed Elmogahzy's Collingswood address.

A still photograph from the coffee shop footage was sent to State Police, who found a potential match for the suspect through facial-recognition software.

A witness from Raccoon Taproom was shown the same photograph and identified the pictured individual as the suspect.

The witness described the suspect to detectives after the alleged assault. He claimed the man "demonstrated similar erratic behavior" in a prior visit to Raccoon Taproom, the affidavit says.

A nearby business's surveillance footage showed a man who matched the suspect description as he left Raccoon Taproom.

Separate footage showed Elmogahzy at Wawa (688 Haddon Ave., Collingswood) at around 6 p.m. Saturday — hours before the Raccoon Taproom incident. He was also reported acting erratically at the store, the affidavit says.

A few hours later, Elmogahzy stabbed another man at Raccoon Taproom, according to investigators. Prosecutors described the incident as an "unprovoked assault."

The victim was hospitalized and listed in critical but stable condition as of Monday night, authorities said.

Elmogahzy was charged with first-degree attempted murder, third-degree aggravated assault and weapons offenses.

A Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Elmogahzy on Monday afternoon. He was jailed in the Camden County Correctional Facility.

Anyone with information on this incident can contact CCPO Det. Kristen Blantz at 856-225-8642 and Collingswood Police Det. Frank Rossetti at 856-854-1901, ext. 261. Anonymous tips can also be sent at CAMDEN.TIPS.