Who is David Jakubonis? Man who attacked Lee Zeldin faces felony charge but gets immediate release

David Jakubonis, a veteran of the US military, has been charged with attempted assault in the second degree for allegedly trying to stab Lee Zeldin, an attorney and Republican gubernatorial candidate in New York.

Jakubonis reportedly attacked Lee Zeldin at a rally dedicated to veterans of foreign wars in the town of Perinton, near Rochester, New York. Zeldin was making a speech when Jakubonis allegedly attacked him with spiked brass knuckles. After a brief struggle, Jakubonis was subdued by another combat veteran, AMVETS director Joe Chennelly.

In an official statement, Zeldin said that he was unharmed. He said:

"Fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him."

WHEC reported that after being subdued, Jakubonis was charged with attempted assault at Perinton Town court.

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The man who reportedly attacked Lee Zeldin is an Iraq war veteran

According to Newsweek, David Jakubonis is an Iraq war veteran from Fairport, New York. As per his LinkedIn profile, he served as a lab technician in the US Army for five years. He has a degree in clinical laboratory sciences from George Washington University, and a degree in criminal justice from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

On his LinkedIn profile, Jakubonis also stated that he was unemployed, and that his wife, Candyce Jakubonis, is deceased.

The Batavian reported that during the assault, witnesses at the scene believed Jakubonis appeared inebriated. Bradon Lewis, a local business owner, said that everyone could hear Jakubonis shouting as he allegedly approached Lee Zeldin, “You’re done, Lee. You’re done, Lee.”

Lewis proceeded to describe the assault from his perspective. He said:

“It seemed when he grabbed him he wasn’t letting go. He wasn’t going in for a hug, let’s put it that way. He didn’t have good intentions."

While David Jakubonis' motive for supposedly attacking Lee Zeldin remains unknown. However, in an official press release, Joe Chennelly told outlets that there was a mental health crisis among veterans in America that could lead to volatile behavior.

Chennelly said:

“When (David Jakubonis) said he served in Iraq, I got down hands on my knees and said, ‘You know, we’re going to get through whatever you’ve done here tonight. You’re going to get better and focus on that,’ and said, ‘You can contact me after this thing is done.”

He continued:

"I was told not the engage with him right now. I think it’s very important we obviously have a mental health crisis nationwide— not just with our veterans but we especially have it with our veterans.”

Jakubonis' legal representation has not yet been disclosed.