John Rudat: Syrian migrant arrested in Germany after brutal knife attack on American model

An arrest has been made after an American tourist was stabbed while protecting two women from a violent assault on a tram in Germany.

Wearing a grey Adidas hoodie, white sneakers and black tracksuit pants with “Hood Rich” written on the front, the 21-year-old Syrian migrant had a smile on his face after he was arrested for the assault of John Rudat on Tuesday.

Identified only as Majd A, the young male stared defiantly at photographers as he was taken before a judge in handcuffs in the eastern German city of Dresden.

Majd A was originally arrested on suspicion of beating him before his accomplice stabbed him. However, the 21-year-old was released on insufficient evidence linking him to the attack.

“According to the on-call public prosecutor’s assessment, there were insufficient grounds for detention. The knife attack cannot be attributed to him,” Senior Public Prosecutor Jürgen Schmidt told a German news outlet.

However, since the attack, new footage surfaced that showed Majd A punching Mr Rubat in the face while armed with a weapon before his accomplice slashed the American model with a knife, German outlet Bild reported.

This is not the first time that Majd A has been involved in a violent act, with previous charges for previous bodily harm, robbery and illegal entry.

The Trump administration has responded to the attack on an American citizen by calling on the German government to take stronger action.

“Chancellor Merz needs to understand that people are fed up with weak, woke reactions,” President Trump’s Special Envoy for Special Missions, Richard Grenell, wrote on X.

Mr Rudat, 21, is a part-time model and a newly qualified paramedic from upstate New York who was travelling in Dresden early Sunday when he stepped in as two women were being attacked by a pair of men, according to a GoFundMe set up by his brother’s girlfriend, Molly.

Mr Rudat was hospitalised with knife wounds to his face after bravely intervening.

“We got a little scared when we found out,” Molly, a fellow first responder, told The New York Post.

“We didn’t know the extent of his injuries. We were at dinner the other day and he called saying, ‘Hey, I’ve been in an incident, I’m OK, just if you can notify my parents because they weren’t answering the phone.’”

Pictures from the aftermath show blood splattered across the tram floor, with tissues scattered everywhere used by passengers to try to stem his bleeding.

The US Embassy in Germany issued a statement urging authorities to bring Mr Rudat’s attackers to justice.

“We urge German authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice and punish them to the fullest extent permitted by law. Safety is a collective responsibility — no one is safe until all are safe,” the Embassy said.

His accomplice, who slashed Mr Rubat with a blade, is still at large.