WBAL TV
January 26, 2014
Baltimore City police have arrested a man in an brutal attack of a Baltimore Sun editor in Canton last week.
Baltimore City Police Commissioner Anthony Batts announced Friday afternoon that officers arrested Mustafa Eraibi, 19, in connection with the beating and robbery of a man walking in Canton last week. Eraibi is charged with attempted murder, armed robbery and gun violations.
Jon Fogg, an editor for The Baltimore Sun, was walking in the 3400 block of Foster Avenue in Canton around 2 a.m. Jan. 14 when he was attacked.
Charging documents indicate Eraibi approached the victim on bike, beat him with a brick on the head and took off with the victim’s car and laptop.
Police traced the victim’s credit card and found surveillance photos of the suspect from places where it had been used. One of the three stores where police said Eraibi used Fogg’s credit card was the 7-Eleven on West Baltimore Street downtown, where police said Eraibi was caught on video.
Officers arrested Eraibi Thursday night. Investigators said patrol officers recognized the suspect from surveillance photos that were distributed to the media on Wednesday.
“They ran into an individual who they thought looked like the images in the photos we were able to positively identify him,” Baltimore City police Maj. Dennis Smith said.
The commissioner credited old-fashioned police work and help from the community.
“When the community comes and get involved with the police, we have clues and leads and tips. This is what results from that activity, and we like to applaud that,” Batts said.
Reached by phone in New Jersey, the victim’s mother, Jane Fogg, told 11 News that she’s elated about the arrest.
“We’re happy because we wanted him off the street so that he couldn’t harm anybody else,” she said. “This is attempted murder and the next person may not be lucky enough to survive it. I don’t want him to be slapped on the wrist and go to prison for a couple of years. I want him to be put away forever.”
Fogg suffered severe injuries, including skull fractures, broken bones and teeth.
“He has six skull fractures. He’s missing about eight to 10 teeth that were knocked out. He has fractures in his hands,” said Fogg’s sister, Melissa Castone.
Castone said the focus is primarily on her brother’s recovery. After the attack, she set up a page on the Go Fund Me website, and in four days, more than 600 people donated nearly $24,000.
Eraibi was charged with robbery and assault in at least two previous cases but he was not prosecuted. When 11 News about this, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office did not provide an explanation.
Among the pictures on Eraibi’s Facebook page is one of a masked person holding two guns.
On Fogg’s personal website, he wrote that he wants to make sure his attacker doesn’t hurt anyone else.