A threat of inclement weather may have saved a man from being robbed by an armed suspect who attempted to steal his money and slash him with a box cutter.

Clifton police said the 45-year-old victim was walking on Main Avenue on May 22 around 1:15 a.m. when he was approached by the suspect, identified as Cruz Juan Martinez-Martinez, 25, of Passaic. Police said the suspect began "aggressively" asking the victim for money and reaching into his pockets.

"The victim, who was in possession of an umbrella, due to inclement weather, used the umbrella to push the suspect away," Clifton Police Lt. Robert Anderson said in a statement. "The suspect then brandished a box cutter knife and gestured toward the victim in an attempt to stab or slash the victim."

Uninjured, the victim then followed Martinez-Martinez to a nearby intersection before losing sight of him. An officer on patrol located Martinez-Martinez trespassing and sleeping in the stairwell of a business on Clifton Avenue around 11:15 a.m., according to authorities. Police attempted to stop him due to the trespassing charge, when he allegedly resisted arrest. Additional officers then responded to help the responding officer take Martinez-Martinez into custody. He was later identified as the suspect in the attempted robbery.

"Further investigation resulted in positive identification of Martinez-Martinez as the responsible party in the earlier incident," Anderson said.

He was charged with trespassing possession of drug paraphernalia, obstruction of the administration of law, resisting arrest, attempted theft, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.