UD Quarterback Stabbed: Police Arrest Assaulter, Wounded Football Player Stable after Parking Lot Incident Behind Grottos in Newark, Delaware

The quarterback of University of Delaware's "Fightin' Blue Hens" football team was badly wounded in a stabbing incident that took place off of the football field late Sunday night.

Newark police reportedly arrested 22-year-old Trevor Sasek's assaulter, identified as Michael J. Creed, on Monday after investigating the stabbing that occurred in a municipal parking lot behind Grotto Pizza/Sports Bar in Newark, Delaware (54 E. Delaware Ave), where the quarterback (who is now in stable condition) was hanging out with his teammates prior to the incident, reveals Newark Post.

Creed, 25, a "townie" (as UD students call non-students) from the local Newark/Glashow area, stabbed the fifth-year UD student three times in the chest and abdomen before fleeing the scene at around 1:20 AM Sunday night. He has been charged with first degree assault and possession of a deadly weapon during a felony, Cpl. Gerald Bryda stated.

Delaware Online notes that using surveillance camera footage, police determined that the incident began when Creed started yelling toward Sasek and several other people standing in the parking lot. This provoked Sasek to approach Creed, and he then grabbed his shoulder.

Prior to the quarterback approaching Creed, the assaulter quickly leaned in his car to grab what appeared to be the weapon. Creed then made "punching motions" toward Sasek, and ran away as Sasek realized he had been stabbed and wounded.

Trevor was rushed by a "private vehicle" to the nearby Christiana Hospital where he underwent surgery for his injuries. He was reported in stable condition today, states Delaware Online.

Newark Post adds that a hospital spokesperson revealed Monday afternoon that Sasek was no longer being kept at the medical facility.

Detectives were able to track down Creed after collecting his license plate number from the surveilance camera footage. They arrested the attacker and brought him into custody where they soon charged Creed with first degree assault and possession of a deadly weapon.

Police and UD officials would not comment on the identity of the victim, but, speaking to the Newark Post Monday night, Newark Mayor Vance A. Funk III confirmed media reports that the injured student is Trevor Sasek, a junior quarterback who is among at least three players in the running for the starting quarterback job this fall. 

"University of Delaware officials have been in contact with the injured student and his family, and we wish him a speedy recovery," said John Brennan, a school spokesman.

Brennan added that the university takes all crime on the campus and in the nearby community seriously, reports Delaware Online.

"We have a proactive approach in place and work closely with partner agencies," he said. "We continue to use our resources and tools to keep the community safe." Some of these resources include a "UD Alert System" where texts, emails, and phone calls are sent out to both the parents and students of University of Delaware to keep them posted in emergency situations or crime incidents.

UD students were apparently not alerted about the recent stabbing incident, however.

To date in 2013, serious crimes are reportedly down in Newark. Compared with the same period last year, the city had a 48 percent reduction in burglaries, a 14 percent fall in thefts and a 55 percent drop in simple assaults, according to data through May 4.

"Anyone who says that we're having a problem with crime in Newark doesn't know at all what's going on down here," Mayor Vance A. Funk III said.

We wish the injured "blue hen" Trevor a speedy recovery from this unfortunate incident!