Arrest of a Syrian who attacked an American tourist in Dresden
The police in Dresden have re-arrested a suspect in connection with the brutal knife attack on an American tourist. The suspect is Majd A., a 21-year-old Syrian, who was placed in custody on Tuesday after appearing before the Dresden District Court, where the judge ordered his continued detention.
The assault occurred shortly after midnight on Sunday on tram line 7, when a tourist from New York tried to defend a young woman who was being harassed by two men. According to the police, the intervention led to a violent confrontation in which one of the attackers pulled out a knife and injured the American tourist in the face.
Surveillance footage from the tram showed that Majd A. punched the American tourist before the main assailant intervened and used a knife. The victim, who suffered serious facial injuries requiring stitches, was taken to the University Hospital of Dresden by ambulance.
The police initially managed to arrest Majd A. about 700 meters from the scene after he attempted to flee using a rented scooter. However, he was released after about 12 hours due to what the prosecution said was a "lack of sufficient grounds for detention." His role was initially considered just a minor assault.
However, a review of the video footage later revealed that Majd A. was holding a dangerous object in his hand during the assault, prompting the prosecution to classify the charge as aggravated assault. Based on the new evidence, he was placed back in custody. The main perpetrator who used the knife, who is also believed to be of Syrian nationality, remains at large.
Chief Prosecutor Jürgen Schmidt confirmed that the Public Prosecutor's Office in Dresden and the Dresden Police will not disclose any further details at this time for reasons related to the ongoing investigations.