1 Charged In Security Guard Assault At Howell Concert
HOWELL, NJ Nov 18 2017— A Sussex County man has been arrested and charged in connection with an attack on security guards outside a concert in Howell two weeks ago, Howell police said Friday.
Charles F. Connallon, 30, of Kristen Court in Hamburg was charged with third-degree aggravated assault in the incident that happened at GameChanger World on Route 9 on Nov. 4, Howell Detective Sgt. Christian Antunez said.
Antunez said Connallon turned himself on Thursday and was released on a summons after he was identified thanks to several anonymous tips to the Howell police department’s tipline, p3tips.com, tips that Antunez said were corroborated through the police department’s investigation.
Antunez said the investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are likely.
In the incident on Nov. 4, several people, including security guards, were seriously injured when they were attacked while removing an unruly patron from the concert that night, Antunez said previously.
The injuries included at least one guard being knocked unconscious, eye injuries, and at least one had teeth knocked out, police said. An off-duty Freehold Township police officer was among the security guards working the event, called Loud Fest, police said.
The security guards told Howell police the incident began when a man, described as white, bald, wearing a black shirt and apparently intoxicated, was “moshing” in front of the stage and causing a disturbance. Because of the disturbance, they asked him to leave the concert, but the man was uncooperative, the security guards said, so they escorted him out the doors to the side of the building, police said.
At that point the assault began, the guards told police; one guard was punched in the face and several people joined in and began fighting the guards, kicking them and punching them repeatedly, police said.
One guard was able to break free and called 911, and those who attacked the guards fled, police said.
The guards suffered injuries including lost teeth, lip injuries, and an eye injury; loss of consciousness, and a contusion above the ear, rib pain, dizziness, headache and nausea; abrasions, a contusion on the back of the head, a facial contusion, blurry vision, and a right eye injury, police said.
Anyone with additional information can contact Howell police through Facebook Messenger on the department’s Facebook page. Anonymous tops can be sent via their anonymous tip service at www.p3tips.com, or contact Antunez at 732-938-4575, ext 2243 or email cantunez@howellpolice.org or Patrolwoman Heather Scherbinski at 732-938-4575, ext. 2660 or email hscherbinski@howellpolice.org.
