SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ – A wild weekend filled with violence, police activity, public brawls, three stabbings and one death marred Memorial Day weekend celebrations at the Jersey Shore.
In total, police made 70 arrests, which culminated in shutting down the Seaside Heights Boardwalk by force Sunday night, into early Monday morning.
A fatal crash by a North Jersey driver headed toward Seaside Heights left one person dead after as Abel B. Mathukutty, of Lake Hiawatha fled the scene in front of the Aqua Blu restaurant in Toms River at the base of the Thomas Mathis bridge connecting Toms River to the barrier island.
Mathukutty was on his way to Seaside Heights when he was later captured by police near the border with Seaside Park.
Mathukutty, who was booked Sunday in Ocean County, faces two charges related to the incident: knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident with serious bodily injury and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. According to jail records, Mathukutty was taken into custody held without bail. As of Tuesday, he remains incarcerated.
Three stabbings and an additional reported stabbing kept EMS workers from Tri-Boro First Aid and first responders busy all weekend. While three stabbings were confirmed, a fourth was reported, but no victim was found when police arrived.
Police confirmed over 70 people were arrested throughout the weekend for various crimes.
Friday
A series of violent disturbances, fights, and emergency incidents stretched police resources thin in Seaside Heights late Friday night into early Saturday morning, prompting the deployment of multiple prisoner transport teams, according to Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd.
The evening began to unravel around 9:11 p.m. when a two-car motor vehicle accident at the Glendale Motel escalated into a physical altercation. Officers were unavailable at the time, reportedly due to overwhelming calls elsewhere in the borough, dealing with juvenile fights, and multiple disorderly persons incidents.
By 10:34 p.m., police were seen chasing a man who fled after being spotted urinating outside EJ’s Bar. Just minutes later, at 10:39 p.m., a large fight was reported near the Prime Time Arcade at Hancock Avenue and the boardwalk. Arrests unknown at this time.
At 10:43 p.m., police responded to Lucky Leo’s for reports of an unconscious teenage girl.
Incidents continued to stack up. At 12:13 a.m., a choking child was rescued, though details on the incident remain unclear. One minute later, a large fight at Jimbo’s Restaurant resulted in one person being detained.
At 12:18 a.m., another arrest was made after a fight broke out at Coin Castle Arcade.
Police overwhelmed by crowds and altercations
At 12:49 a.m., the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department responded to a fight at Sumner Avenue and Ocean Terrace, where one suspect was already in custody. Less than half an hour later, another altercation at the Ocean Block of Sumner Avenue prompted further response from sheriff’s deputies.
Crowd control issues escalated by 1:25 a.m. as a large group formed at Ocean Terrace, leading to two arrests. Around 2 a.m., officers responded to Hancock Avenue for reports of a man throwing objects from a rooftop.
“All night long police were dealing with disturbances and fights,” the report noted, resulting in Chief Boyd organizing multiple prisoner transport teams to handle the high number of arrests.
Disorderly conduct and juvenile incidents reported
Throughout the night, authorities dealt with widespread cases of chaos and disorderly conduct. These included intoxicated individuals, beach gate jumpers, and juveniles violating curfew and throwing water bottles at bystanders.
The Ocean County Sheriff’s Department provided support across numerous scenes, working alongside local officers as they responded to a surge in emergency calls across the town.
Saturday
Saturday night in Seaside Heights unfolded with repeated incidents of violence, continuing a pattern of disturbances seen in recent days and years over the holiday weekend.
The first report came at approximately 5:03 p.m., when a bathroom attendant on the boardwalk was allegedly sucker-punched in the face. Witnesses described two Hispanic males wearing hats fleeing the scene on foot.
No arrests were reported in connection with the assault.
By 6:43 p.m., police responded to a large fight near EJ’s, involving what was described as a group of up to 20 ‘black males” according to dispatchers.
One person was reportedly stabbed during the altercation, per the radio call. The group was later seen dispersing and moving toward the nearby Aztec Ocean Resort.
A third major incident occurred just before 7:30 p.m., when a large fight broke out near the Prime Time Arcade. Crowds gathered at the scene, prompting a heavy police response. No additional injuries were immediately reported during that disturbance.
Seaside Heights has seen similar incidents during past Memorial Day weekends, often involving large crowds and multiple altercations. Increased patrols and police presence have been deployed during the holiday period in recent years to try to manage the situation.
Local, county and state police remained active in and around the barrier island this weekend and along the boardwalk into the night, responding to each incident as it developed.
Sunday
For the third consecutive night, the Seaside Heights boardwalk was the host of multiple large scale brawls, disorderly conduct, and a stabbing. It was the third stabbing, with one occurring Friday and earlier in the evening on Saturday.
One cop was attacked, a bathroom attendendent was attacked and a gun was found during a brawl on the north end of the boardwalk.
A wave of violent incidents overnight led the Seaside Heights Chief of Police Thomas Boyd to shut down the boardwalk early Sunday morning, as multiple fights, stabbings, a gun recovery, and an officer assault overwhelmed local law enforcement.
The situation escalated around 11:22 p.m. Saturday, when a fight was reported near the Spicy Cantina. Two individuals fled from responding officers westbound on Sheridan Avenue. Minutes later, at 11:28 p.m., a large crowd began forming near the Aztec Motel. During a foot pursuit, an open radio mic inadvertently hindered coordination, allowing suspects to escape and drawing additional crowds after a law enforcement officer was assaulted.
By 12:03 a.m., the Seaside Heights Boardwalk was officially shut down by order of the Chief Boyd Authorities cited escalating violence and the presence of armed individuals as immediate safety concerns. One officer on scene described the atmosphere as “uncontrollable.”
With K-9 in tow, police formed a line across the boardwalk and began clearing it, ordering all patrons to leave.
At approximately 12:10 a.m., another stabbing was reported near Kearney Avenue and Ocean Terrace. The victim, suffering a leg injury, prompted the request of a medevac, which landed at the J Street Marina. The Seaside Heights Police Department initiated a mass evacuation of the boardwalk due to the active crime scene. Ocean County Sheriff’s officers were called in for support as large crowds remained on Ocean Terrace.
Firearm recovered and suspect arrested in latest altercation
Around 12:29 a.m., yet another fight broke out at Blain Avenue and Ocean Terrace. Shortly after, at 1:03 a.m., a major altercation occurred at Grant Avenue and the Ocean Block. Police recovered a firearm at the scene and took one suspect into custody.
This marks the third stabbing in Seaside Heights over the course of the weekend. Major Crimes detectives remain on the scene as of early Sunday morning. There has been no word yet on additional arrests or charges stemming from the string of incidents.
Law enforcement has not confirmed the identities of those involved in the assaults or stabbing incidents, and the conditions of the injured parties have not been publicly released.
Violence erupted in Seaside Heights overnight, triggering a boardwalk shutdown as police responded to stabbings, crowds, and armed suspects.
Arrests made overnight:
Joseph Blake was charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Memorial Day
On Monday, multiple fights were reported including incidents at a boardwalk pizzeria and a firearm recovered by police during another altercation. A large fight was reported near the intersection of Grant Avenue and Ocean Terrace.
