Man Threatened Staff Of Hoboken Business With Knife: Police

HOBOKEN, NJ — A man was charged with assault earlier this month after threatening employees at a downtown Hoboken business with a knife, police said.

Before police could arrive, an employee removed two knives from the man, said the Hoboken police.

Sangmin Kim, 32, of Fort Lee was charged on Wednesday, Aug. 7, with aggravated assault, burglary, possession of burglary tools, trespassing, and weapons offenses, said the Hoboken police.

Police said that at approximately 9:10 p.m. on that Wednesday, Police Officers Harry Montalvo and Anish Bhisey responded to 80 River St. on reports of a man threatening employees with a knife.

The corner office building is a block from the Hoboken Train Terminal.

Sgt. Francis McCourt and Police Officers Domenick Allegretta, Matthew Bonanno, and Anthony Rutkowski also responded to the scene, police said.

The saw Kim, whom they knew, sitting on the floor, police said.

According to police, an employee told them that he had caught Kim on the top floor and asked why he was there.

Then, Kim waved a knife at him, police say.

Police say that when they arrived, "He was asked to stand up and was placed in handcuffs. An on-scene investigation revealed that an employee of one of the businesses in the building saw Kim on the top floor of the building, and when he asked why Kim was there, Kim waved a knife at the employee. The employee was able to protect himself, and disarm Kim of two knives, before calling the police."

Police searched Kim and found four lock picks, they said.

He was taken to Hoboken Police Headquarters a few blocks away.

While there, police found out that he already had a warrant out from Hoboken for possession of burglar tools and trespassing.

He was charged with burglary, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated assault, and possession of burglary tools, police said.

He was taken to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.