‘He would have killed me.’ Business owner shot in the face with a crossbow speaks to News 12
Katarina Ruk has owned Birds By Joe 2 on Route 46 in Saddle Brook for five years. She says business was slow on Monday before the attack.
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A Bergen County business owner was shot in the face with a crossbow on Monday.
She returned to her store for the first time since the attack to speak exclusively with News 12 New Jersey's Amanda Lee.
Katarina Ruk has owned Birds By Joe 2 on Route 46 in Saddle Brook for five years. She says business was slow on Monday before the attack.
"Sometimes we have a lot of people but that particular day there was nobody here," said Ruk.
She says 53-year-old Raymond Carey, a long-time customer, came to the store around 6 p.m.
"He said something when he went to the back, but I couldn't hear, so I went through this aisle here and when I got closer to him, I said 'What did you say? I didn't hear.' That's when I saw him pull the crossbow out of a small bag that he had, and he just shot me like that,” Ruk said.
RELATED: Man charged with attempted murder in Saddle Brook crossbow attack, prosecutor says
When Carey went to grab another arrow to shoot her with, she says she knocked the crossbow out of his hand.
"If I had not taken it, I'm sure he would have killed me," said Ruk. "I took out the arrow that I had in my mouth, and I went outside running asking for help."
Ruk says she then ran to the bike shop next door where she told employees there to call the police. Then she was taken to the hospital for her injuries.
"I had to get three teeth pulled from my bottom jaw on the left side. I have two broken that will probably have to come off in three to four weeks," she says.
Her lips and tongue were also cut. She's expecting to fully recover in about five months but says physical trauma is nothing compared to the emotional trauma.
"He's in jail but it's like now I have that insecurity feeling on me," she says.
Carey now faces attempted murder charges.
Birds By Joe 2 is also the same pet shop where a $7,000 parrot was stolen a few weeks ago. Thankfully, the bird has since been returned — but the suspect in that case remains on the loose.
Other store owners and friends say Ruk is known as a very kind person.
She said Carey is a customer who comes in often and is very quiet, so she has no idea why he allegedly did this to her. She says she's thankful for the customers and community members who have been reaching out to help.
