NJ man, 57, faces attempted murder charge after violent beach town brawl

🔺NJ man charged with attempted murder
🔺Defendant drove to confront man and woman, cops say
🔺Stabbing victim in critical but stable condition

TOMS RIVER — A 57-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after a scary fight in the usually quiet area of Ortley Beach.

On Thursday night before 11 p.m., Toms River police were called to a struggle outside a home along Harding Avenue.

Patrick Robertelli, of Toms River, and a 52-year-old Toms River man were found physically fighting.

As officers pulled them apart, they realized the victim had been stabbed several times.

He was flown to a hospital, where the man was in critical but stable condition as of Friday, police said.

The divorced Robertelli went to the home to confront the man and a female, investigators said.

Robertelli had also sent threatening text messages to the woman, according to police.

In addition to attempted murder, Robertelli is charged with aggravated assault, weapons offenses, harassment and stalking.

A knife was recovered at the scene, according to a press release initially shared to Facebook by Toms River police on Friday afternoon.

“The Toms River Township Police Department did an excellent job handling this investigation and taking the defendant into custody without incident,” Ocean Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a written release Friday evening.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this report should have said Robertelli is from Toms River.

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