Fight breaks out during restaurant’s festivities.
By: Joseph Harvie
An attempt to remove a patron from a Cinco de Mayo party at Mexican restaurant and bar in the South Brunswick Square Mall resulted in three men being charged with assault and other offenses Friday night.
Police were responding to a request from Banditos Margarita Factory for assistance in removing Cameron Campanella, 28, of North Brunswick, from the restaurant when he struck the responding officer in the face, police said. Two others were involved in the ensuing scuffle.
Detective James Ryan, spokesman for the Police Department, said there were 40 calls from area residents complaining about noise at the restaurant. Because of the calls, police had increased patrols to the area.
Detective Ryan said the incident began when private security hired by Banditos was unable to remove Mr. Campanella from the restaurant and called police for assistance.
A guard was trying to break up a fight involving Mr. Campanella when Patrol Officer Mike LaPoint arrived. When he approached Mr. Campanella and the guard, Mr. Campanella swung at him and hit him with "a right closed fist" in the mouth, Detective Ryan said.
Officer LaPoint attempted to calm the situation and place Mr. Campanella into custody, Detective Ryan said. That’s when Matthew Kriz, 27, of Monmouth Junction, jumped on the officer’s back, Detective Ryan said.
Additional officers were called to the scene and calmed the situation and placed Mr. Kriz under arrest, Detective Ryan said.
As police were trying to place Mr. Kriz in handcuffs, Mr. Campanella attempted to flee through the parking lot, but police apprehended him before he ran too far, police said.
Patrol Officer Tara Jairdullo, who was off-duty but at the restaurant, tried to help Officer LaPoint when a third man spit in her face. The man, Francis Cook, 32, of Avenel, was then arrested.
Mr. Campanella was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, escape, disorderly conduct and possession of cocaine. He was charged and released after posting the 10 percent option on $25,000 bail.
Mr. Kriz was charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest and released after posing the 10 percent option on $5,000 bail, Detective Ryan said.
Mr. Cook was charged with assault and posted the 10 percent option on $10,000 bail, Detective Ryan said.
Detective Ryan said that Banditos was issued permits by the township to hold the party.
When the South Brunswick Post contacted Banditos for a comment about the incident and asked to speak to a manager, the man who came to the phone would not comment on the record.
Councilwoman Carol Barrett, who lives in Whispering Woods, which is across Route 1 from the Banditos, said that she received several calls that night from residents in her community that the noise was keeping them awake. She said she contacted police to try and get the noise level down.
Ms. Barrett said she had heard the noise coming from the restaurant to her home until 11:30 p.m. Friday.
"It was a horrible evening to be home and to hear that noise," Ms. Barrett said.
Mayor Gambatese said he contacted the restaurant earlier in the day and asked that it keep the noise at a minimum. He asked Police Chief Raymond Hayducka and Health Officer Steve Papenberg to contact the restaurant and advise it of the township’s noise ordinance. He said that, because of the problems with the event, the council would not allow similar events to take place.
"It is a shame," Mayor Gambatese said. "It’s a shame that they ignored me and our police and our health officer."