NEW YORK’S FAIRPORT: For his role in an assault on Congressman Lee Zeldin during a campaign event in Perinton on the evening of July 21, in Fairport, New York, a man has been charged with attempted assault. In New York State, Zeldin is the Republican’s nominee for governor. In the wee hours of Friday, Fairport resident David Jakubonis, 43, was named as the assailant. He was accused of second-degree attempted assault.
Lee Zeldin’s attacker is a medal-winning Army vet with mental health issues
Before bringing out a knife, the man “wrestled” with Zeldin for a brief period of time, according to WROC. The two appeared to fall to the ground together after the man appeared to seize Zeldin’s arm in a video released on Twitter, according to The Associated Press. After a brief struggle, other spectators disarmed the man and restrained him using zip ties they had taken from campaign posters, according to WHEC-TV. On the day of the attack, the assailant was dressed in a black cap, sunglasses, a t-shirt, and black shorts.
Republican candidate Lee Zeldin is now facing off against Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York. Before hitting him, Jakubonis allegedly said, “Okay, you’re done.” According to a former neighbor, Jakubonis, 43, of Fairport, had certain mental health concerns that underwent a “rapid fall” following the passing of his wife Candyce and his medical discharge in 2012. A neighbor said, “He appears to be having a nervous breakdown of some sort. After his wife passed away, he gradually started to become more and more distant. He is an odd man with social problems. He would act or speak in ways that teenagers would. After his attack on Zeldin, not even the current neighbors were shocked.
The former neighbor also mentioned that Jakubonis and Candyce were strong drinkers, so it wouldn’t be shocking if he continued to do so. In the preceding week, the neighbor attempted to contact Jakubonis via Facebook but was unsuccessful. The neighbor kept talking, “Sincerely, buddy, there was something about him that I couldn’t put my finger on. His speaking style had a strange quality to it. Not that I believed he was going to lose his mind, but he didn’t seem grounded in reality. Even though Jakubonis’ mental health troubles are obvious, his Army service was quite impressive. Jakubonis’ brother was handed custody of the twins after his wife passed away.
David Jakubonis: who is he?
Jakubonis served in the Army as a Medical Laboratory Specialist from January 2007 to January 2012, and he was deployed to Iraq from December 2008 to December 2009, according to Army Major Jackie Wren. He had the position of expert during the time of his service (E4). He further clarified that his military experience was anything but typical because it was filled with numerous honors. Jakubonis was awarded the Bronze Star, Army Commendation, two Army Achievement medals, one for good conduct, and the National Defense Service medal throughout his service.
David studied clinical laboratory sciences at George Washington University in 2007 and 2008 before he enlisted in the Army. He majored in psychology and criminal justice at the Rochester Institute of Technology from 2012 to 2014. He joined the RIT Veterans Club in 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile, and continues to serve as its chief of morale. He joined the Army after completing his program and worked as a medical laboratory technician there from 2007 to 2012. His bio simply says, “Hire me,” and his profile indicates that he is actively seeking employment.
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