North Caldwell Man Takes Bat To Head At Thatcher McGhee’s: Police

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The baseball bat connected with his head. And that was the last thing he remembers. That’s what a 22-year-old North Caldwell man told police after being jumped in the parking lot of Thatcher McGhee’s bar last weekend.

According to the Fairfield Police Department, the assault took place on Jan. 20 after the victim, his brother and two friends spent the evening drinking at the local pub. The alleged assailant, Brandon Cardella, 19, of West Caldwell, was also at the bar with friends that evening.

The bad blood started with a cigarette and a conversation, Fairfield police said.

“At one point, it is alleged that the victim’s brother was outside smoking a cigarette and overheard Cardella talking to his friends about an incident that occurred there a few weeks earlier in which Cardella was banned from the bar and that he blamed the victim.”

According to police, Cardella allegedly began to call the victim in an attempt to get him to meet up in the bar’s parking lot to fight. But the victim ignored his calls and stayed at the bar until it began to close down around 1:30 a.m.

At that point, the victim and his companions exited the bar and began to walk to their car, which was parked on Fairfield Avenue. That’s when the victim noticed a gray Chrysler 300 circling the bar’s parking lot, police said.

The car pulled up to the victim and Cardella allegedly got out of the car, flanked by two other people. All of them were carrying baseball bats, the victim told police.

The last thing the victim remembers is being hit in the head with a bat, police said.

The victim’s brother drove him to St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, where he was reportedly treated for a concussion. Police were not contacted until the next day, authorities said.

After being notified about the assault, Fairfield police obtained an arrest warrant for Cardella, who surrendered to Fairfield authorities on Jan. 22. Police charged him with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

On Monday, Fairfield police said that detectives are still seeking the identities of the other two males who allegedly accompanied Cardella on the night of the incident.

“I am encouraging these individuals to come forward and speak with our detectives as it will only be a matter of time before we identify them and potentially charge them” Chief Anthony Manna said.

Anyone with information regarding this incident can contact the Fairfield Police Department Investigative Division at (973) 227-1400.

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