A knife-wielding madman slashed a cop, injured two other officers, carjacked multiple drivers and tried to steal a police cruiser during a wild crime spree early Sunday morning, authorities said.
Uvaldo Gonzalez, of the Bronx, allegedly stole a car somewhere in New York City during an armed carjacking, then drove across the Hudson River to South Hackensack, where he promptly crashed it at about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella.
Gonzalez, 43, tried to steal another car but failed — then carjacked someone else at knife-point and sped off in the second stolen car before cops could arrive, Musella said.
About 20 minutes later, a witness called the Port Authority Police Department to report a car driving erratically on three tires, according to an agency spokesperson.
Officers found Gonzalez and the stolen silver Toyota Sienna stuck on the upper level of the George Washington Bridge near the New Jersey side — at which point Gonzalez got out and tried to steal yet another car, cops said.
When that failed, he opened the passenger door of Port Authority Officer Miguel Correa’s police cruiser and hopped in.
Correa, who had gotten out of his patrol car, leaped through its open window, and that’s when Gonzalez allegedly began slashing at his face with the knife, police said.
Correa and two other officers eventually subdued the man, who was brought to Hackensack Hospital for an evaluation pending his arraignment on attempted murder, aggravated assault and stolen property charges.
All three officers went to the same hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries and released.
Gonzalez — who has a lengthy rap sheet that includes 17 prior arrests for burglary, drug possession, trespassing and assault — had two active warrants in New York, the Port Authority said.
Port Authority PBA President Frank Conti applauded the cops “for a job well done.”
“I’m extremely happy that no one was more seriously injured,” Conti said in a statement.
“This is yet another example of the dangers of police work, and of our members stepping up and getting the job done.”
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