Bail Reduction Denied for Accused in Red Bank Run Stabbing

A bail reduction motion proved fruitless Friday morning for the accused attacker in .

Judge Walter L. Marshall Jr. denied a reduction for Jacob Rodriguez, who allegedly stabbed his live-in girlfriend, Brittany Hickman, at least 50 times at their apartment in the R building at the apartment complex. Bail remains at $200,000 cash or bond.

Rodriguez, 34, who is accused of attempted murder and unlawful possession of a weapon in the attack, stood stoic in the courtroom, occasionally looking over at Assistant Prosecutor Janis Melfi, but otherwise staying silent and staring straight ahead as a pair of sheriff's officers stood nearby.

At one point, he leaned over to speak with his attorney, Richard O'Brien, but didn't address Marshall during the bail hearing.

Melfi, who argued Rodriguez is a flight risk because of substantial family ties to Puerto Rico, described the stabbing as a “brutal attack.” She said Hickman was stabbed at least 50 times, with her stomach, liver and aorta punctured; Hickman's throat was also slashed, and she was stabbed about 20 times in the back.

Melfi said Rodriguez admitted to grabbing a knife his girlfriend was using to make a sandwich and stabbed her until that knife bent, then went to get another knife to continue the attack.

She also noted that a total of four bloodied knives, two of which were bent, were seized from the apartment after the attack.

Hickman remains semi-comatose in the wake of the attack, and is on a ventilator, according to Melfi.

Whether either of the two children in the apartment–a 5-year-old son of Hickman's and a 2-year-old daughter that is Rodriguez and Hickman's child–witnessed the attack is unclear, Melfi said.

“The 5-year-old said...'Papi grabbed a knife,'” she said, and added that there is the possibility of additional charges for endangering the welfare of a child.

Melfi painted a picture of Rodriguez as a cold-hearted attacker, adding that he allegedly made threats toward Hickman's family to one of the police officers to whom he surrendered the night of the stabbing, according to Melfi.

“There was no remorse and no request as to her condition,” Melfi said.

Rodriguez has also served time in state prison in 2003 for an aggravated assault with a weapon, and served probation for a separate incident of making terroristic threats.

Rodriguez had also been charged with stalking and harassment on June 23 of last year, and Hickman took out a temporary restraining order against him, though that restraining order was later withdrawn. The stalking and harassment charges were remanded to West Deptford's municipal court, where they were put on a six-month hold on Jan. 18, and would have been dismissed had no other incidents occurred.

Marshall considered Rodriguez's past criminal history in denying the bail reduction request.

“it's not an extensive criminal history, but he does have two felony convictions,” Marshall said.

Rodriguez remains in the county jail on default of bail.