NEWS

Mt. Olive cops: Man beaten with baseball bat

William Westhoven
@WWesthoven

A Mount Olive resident was charged with aggravated assault on Monday after he allegedly beat an acquaintance with a baseball bat.

Officers were dispatched at 8:23 p.m. for a report of a fight in progress at the 7-Eleven convenience store at 294 Route 206, according to a police report. Officer William Galop then responded to an updated report that one of the subjects wielded a baseball bat during the altercation and had left the scene and driven across the road to the parking lot at Dunkin' Donuts.

Galop located the suspect, Mark O'Grady, 27, of the Budd Lake section of the township, in his vehicle and subsequently learned that O'Grady had traveled to the victims residence to confront him on a previous matter. The victim wasn't home at the time, but while traveling on Route 206, O'Grady observed the victim's vehicle in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven.

O'Grady confronted the victim with a baseball bat, the report stated, and during the altercation the victim was allegedly struck in the leg with the bat.

While speaking with O'Grady, police said it appeared that he was impaired due to alcohol consumption. Galop conducted field-sobriety tests, after which O'Grady was arrested and transported to police headquarters, where he submitted to chemical breath tests.

O'Grady was charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, unlawful possession of a weapon, harassment, driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, driving while suspended and failure to exhibit documents.

O'Grady was taken to the Morris County Correctional Facility in default of $20,000 bail. He has a pending court appearance.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com.