Trio Charged In Knife Attack Outside NJ Mall

PARAMUS, NJ — Three North Jersey men were arrested after attacking a couple who'd just come out of a movie theater, Paramus police said.

Dennis Morales Jr., 20, of Fair Lawn, Joshua Ortiz, 19, of Allendale, and Kevin Parella, 18, from Paterson were arrested separately over the last two weeks, police said.

Police said that on Nov. 15, just before 11 p.m., the Paramus Police Department responded to a report of an assault that occurred in the parking lot of the AMC movie theater at the Garden State Plaza Mall.

A man and woman said that they were attacked by several people when they were in their car, preparing to leave the area. The woman recognized one of the assailants as a person "with whom she had been communicating in a casual relationship," police said.

Police said that during the attack, one of the suspects pressed a large knife against the woman's face and threatened to kill both victims.

Afterward, Westfield Garden State Plaza security personnel and Police Detective Josh Capizzi were able to identify all three suspects, police said.

Police in Paterson and Paramus, as well as members of the Passaic County Seriff's Office, later apprehended the suspects.

Parella was charged with aggravated assault, police said.

Ortiz was charged with simple assault, terroristic threats, and two weapons charges.

Morales was charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and criminal restraint, police said.