Newark Woman Convicted of Assault with Box-Cutter

A 35-year-old Newark woman has been convicted of brutally assaulting another woman with a box-cutter in a dispute over a man, authorities said.

Mellissa Wilson is accused of attacking the other woman in front of her six-year-old child on June 5, 2010, causing deep lacerations to the woman's face and back.

"This was a horrific case of a woman, who needed a place to stay temporarily with her young son, being ambushed by another woman in a fight over a man," said Assistant Prosecutor  Marlyen Habib.

Wilson is related to the wife of the man who invited the victim to stay in a separate apartment in the multi-family home, authorities said. The wife apparently wanted the victim out. The state's theory of the case is that the wife enlisted Wilson to attack the woman.

Wilson was convicted by an Essex County jury Wednesday on one count of burglary, one count of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. She was also convicted of one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

She will be sentenced Feb. 1, 2013 and faces a maximum of 10 years in New Jersey State Prison.