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Assault, Weapons Charges For Teen Suspect In Greenwich Village Slashing

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)-- A suspect is in custody in connection with a slashing attack on a restaurant worker in Greenwich Village last week, according to police.

Dominicio Howington, 16, is charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Sources say the suspect has four previous arrests as a juvenile.

Bobby Barbot, 25, was slashed in the face while working at the Silver Spurs restaurant at around 8 p.m. on Feb. 17, police said. Barbot was rushed to the hospital, where he received 137 stitches for his injury.

"I'm happy that they caught him," Barbot told 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck after police told him a suspect was in custody. "To be honest, to say to him at least the cops caught him before I do, that's the only way I could say it."

The teen suspect, who was seen on surveillance video, was inside the restaurant going table to table asking for donations, claiming to raise money for a basketball team, police said.

"I told him to leave and he didn't want to leave, and said he's coming back and I said he's not coming back," Barbot told CBS2's Janelle Burrell in an earlier interview.

Investigators said he came back and sliced Barbot with a box cutter.

Barbot said he continues to recover and is meeting with doctors later this week to determine when he can return to work.

"I'm OK, I'm good, I'm great and I'm getting better day by day." Barbot said.

On Tuesday night, the suspect's grandmother came to his defense.

"That man punched him in the face. He got what he deserved," she said.

The attack on Barbot was one of 533 stabbing and slashing attacks so far this year, compared to 444 for the same period last year, CBS2 reported. On Sunday, an anti-crime officer was slashed in the face in Brownsville from her neck to her cheek as she tried to break up a fight.

CBS2 asked Mayor Bill de Blasio about the increasing in slashings -- up 20 percent this year compared to the same period in 2015. De blasio said part of the solution will be deploying more officers to patrol.

"There will be 2,000 more cops on the beat in this city, nothing is going to contribute to greater safety than that," de Blasio said.

The suspect is being questioned at the 6th Precinct in Greenwich Village.

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