December 20,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced the arrest of FRANCIS TATTOLI (DOB: 06/07/1992) of 258 Summer Street, Apartment 1B, East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, December 18, 2016, on charges of attempted murder and possession of a weapon. The arrest is the result of a joint investigation conducted by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Squad under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department under the direction of Sheriff Michael Saudino, and the East Rutherford Police Department under the direction of Chief Lawrence Minda.
On Saturday December 17, 2016, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office received information from the East Rutherford Police Department that a 25-year-old female was attacked inside of 258 Summer Street, a multi-unit dwelling. The victim, identified as MONET THOMAS (DOB: 02/14/1991) of 184 Devon Street, Kearney, New Jersey, was found unresponsive and was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ, where she remains in critical condition.
An investigation by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Squad and the East Rutherford Police Department revealed that on Saturday, December 17, 2016, MONET THOMAS visited an acquaintance in a different apartment at 258 Summer Street. Shortly after 9:00 p.m., THOMAS left the dwelling at 258 Summer Street. Upon her return a short time later, TATTOLI attacked her, including with a knife; her body was later discovered just inside the doorway of TATTOLI’s first floor apartment. TATTOLI subsequently fled his apartment, but was soon apprehended by East Rutherford Police a short distance from the home.
As a result of the investigation, TATTOLI was arrested and charged with one count of Attempted Murder, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1a(1), a first degree crime, and one count of possession of a weapon, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C: 39-4D, a second degree crime. The Honorable Bonnie Mizdol, A.J.S.C. of Bergen County set bail at $2,000,000.00 with no ten percent option. TATTOLI appeared today before the Honorable James J. Guida, J.S.C., for a first appearance and entered a not guilty plea, and his bail was continued.
Bergen County Prosecutor Grewal states that these charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutor Grewal would also like to thank the East Rutherford Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance in this investigation.
