The man who attacked US Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) as he was speaking at a campaign stop last Thursday — David Jakubonis, 43 — was re-arrested on Saturday, this time on a federal assault charge, US media reported. Zeldin is running for New York State governor on the Republican ticket.
Lee Zeldin’s Attacker Released Less Than 24 Hours Later
The move followed initial charges of attempted assault in the second degree. But having attacked a member of Congress — Zeldin is a federal lawmaker — Jakubonis was liable to federal charges as well.
He was taken into custody Saturday morning at his home by a joint team comprised of FBI, New York State police and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Jakubonis was released the day before after his arraignment on the lesser charges.
After being taken into custody by federal personnel, the attacker was set to be arraigned before US Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson later in the day, according to Fox News, ABC-Eyewitness News 7 and other media quoting the US Attorney’s Office in Western District of New York.
Jakubonis attacked Zeldin last Thursday as the gubernatorial candidate was speaking at a campaign stop in upstate New York, using “a set of self-defense knuckles which had two sharp pointed ends which protruded beyond his fist,” according to the criminal complaint quoted by the New York Post.
The attacker aimed for Zeldin’s throat — but the lawmaker grabbed his wrist and managed to hold him off until others arrived to subdue him.
Jakubonis was arraigned on charges of attempted assault in the second degree and then simply released Friday morning without having to post even a bond.
