Man Allegedly Attacks Bride With Sword After Being Denied A Cigarette

A sword-wielding hotel guest attacked a bride on her wedding day, cutting her arm with the blade after the bridal party denied him a cigarette, police said.

The man, later identified as New York hedge fund manager Carlos Mejia, was unarmed by other guests at the Grand Cascades Lodge and detained by security before police arrived, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Oxygen.com.

The incident occurred Saturday when Mejia asked the bride and her bridal party for a cigarette. But Mejia allegedly got upset when the bridal party either didn't have a cigarette or refused to give him one.

Witnesses told police Mejia began shouting obscenities at the group after his request was denied and then "retreated to his room," according to the affidavit.

The bride and her party then followed him and knocked on his door while yelling at him. Police said Mejia emerged from his hotel room and began "swinging" the sword at the women, striking the bride on her left arm.

He also threatened to kill the bride, according to the report.

Officers arrived at the scene and interviewed Mejia, but the conversation was "inconclusive" because Mejia appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time, the New Jersey Herald reports.

He had reportedly been staying at the New Jersey hotel on business, which partly explains why he had a sword in his room to begin with.

"It's believed that Mr. Mejia had been awarded that sword at a work event just the night before," First Assistant Prosecutor Gregory Mueller told Oxygen.com on Friday.

Mejia, who has since been released from jail pending his next court appearance, was charged with third-degree aggravated assault with bodily injury, third-degree terroristic threats, third-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and a disorderly persons offense of harassment.

Mueller said each charge carries a potential sentence of three to five years in state prison.

Meanwhile, the bride was taken to Newton Medical Center to treated for a non-life threatening injury, according to the Herald.

[Photo: Sussex County Sheriff]