WMBCTV: Little Ferry News: Police Sound Alarm on Domestic Violence Following Brutal Assault

Police in New Jersey are sounding the alarm after a violent confrontation in Bergen County left a woman with serious injuries and a man facing charges. An apartment complex in Little Ferry became the scene of what officers describe as a brutal domestic assault. Police responded after being called by a nearby resident who reportedly witnessed the incident first-hand from his window. Investigators say the woman was then found in a fetal position with multiple broken ribs, a collapsed lung and other serious injuries.

“She was having trouble breathing at that time and that’s when we called the ambulance right away and we started our initial investigation to try to figure out what was going on,” said Corporal Michael Lee, Little Ferry Police Department. “Who knows what would have happened if we didn’t respond when we did.”

Police say this is all raising renewed concerns about domestic violence in the community as they say they’ve seen an uptick throughout the region.

“We do see an increase in it,” said Chief James Walters, Little Ferry Police Department. “It could be anything from a spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend losing their job to excessive bills that come in and these arguments start as a verbal dispute and they escalate into a physical dispute.”

While they say there’s been a noticeable increase in domestic violence cases throughout the area, authorities say many of the reports they receive, like with this case in Little Ferry, are not made by the victim or anyone involved. 

“With domestic violence, the victim usually doesn’t reach out to us, it’s usually a third-party,” said Chief Walters. “There are so many victims out there that do not want to report this, most of the time they’re afraid of course, they don’t want to create problems, they have kids together, they don’t want that getting out there - but problems that occur inside the home can escalate into more violence.”

And with the calls they do get, officers say their main priority is to keep the victim safe and that no domestic violence call can be treated the same.

“It’s a very delicate situation, domestic violence, because you’re going into a heated argument from both parties,” said Chief Walters. “And the last thing they want to see is a police officer show up at their door.” 

Police say the 40-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene, remanded in Bergen County Jail and is now facing multiple charges including aggravated assault with injury during a domestic violence, aggravated assault by strangulation and criminal restraint among others. 

Authorities are encouraging anyone who sees something, to say something. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, you can call or text the 24/7 domestic violence hotline at 800-799-7233.