Disturbance ends with arrests
By Sherry conohan
Staff Writer

EATONTOWN — Officers from 14 law enforcement agencies responded to break up a major disturbance in the parking lot of the Eatontown Roller Rink Sunday night. Three juvenile girls were arrested in the melee.

Capt. George Jackson of the Eatontown Police Department said police were called to the roller rink at 10:38 p.m., and upon arrival found several hundred patrons of the roller rink engaged in several separate fights on the rink property as well as adjoining businesses.

He said the incident began as the patrons, estimated by rink management at 500 to 600, left the roller rink at closing.

Jackson said borough police issued a request for assistance immediately, and received help in quelling the disturbance from the State Police, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Defense Police at Fort Monmouth, and police from Long Branch, Oceanport, Interlaken, Ocean Township, West Long Branch, Rumson, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Red Bank, and Tinton Falls.

"We’re very thankful and fortunate that they showed up," he said.

Police arrested two female juveniles who refused to stop fighting, and another who committed an assault on a 33-year-old Long Branch woman who came to the rink to pick up her daughter, according to Jackson.

The two girls who wouldn’t stop fighting were charged with disorderly conduct. One was a 14-year-old from Long Branch and the other was a 12-year-old from Asbury Park.

Jackson said a 16-year-old girl from Asbury Park was charged with simple assault for the attack on the woman who came to pick up her daughter. He said the victim was in her car when the girl kicked it for no known reason. When the adult victim got out of her car, the juvenile punched her in the face, he said.

Jackson said the scene was secured after approximately one hour, with no additional arrests.

According to Jackson, three Eatontown patrolmen were on duty that night. He said two other police officers from the bureau who were off duty and working security at the Loew’s movie complex at Monmouth Mall and the Sheraton Eatontown Hotel were finishing up and came over to help out.

Jackson said there have been other occasions when crowds at the roller rink have gotten unruly, and fights have broken out all over the parking lot.

"This goes back 20 years because I can remember them when I was a patrolman," he said.

On the other hand, he said, the owner Richard Jones has had other nights when there were big crowds at the rink and there were no problems at all.

"In the past, he’s hired off-duty officers for security," the captain added.