BAPTISIM PARTY HAD OVER 400 GUESTS
2 STABBED, ROCK THROWN THRU GLASS DOOR OF CHURCH

TOMS RIVER — Two people were stabbed outside a local church during a baptism party yesterday morning, and the suspects are still at large, police said.

Eleven officers responded at 1:30 a.m. to St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church on Church Road, after the department got a call about an aggravated assault from the church, which was renting out its hall for the baptism party, Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said.

[color="Red"]What the fuck is a baptisim party going on at 1:30 am?

The two victims, whose names were not released, were a 17-year-old Tuckerton boy and a 22-year-old Egg Harbor Township man, Mastronardy said. They both are listed in stable condition at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, Mastronardy said.

When the police arrived at the church grounds, the two victims were found stabbed outside of the church, Mastronardy said.

An investigation led by Detective Mark Bajada and Officer Daniel Ruiz led to the discovery that while people were leaving the baptism party, a fight broke out near the western door of the church, he said.

One suspect produced a knife, stabbing the Tuckerton boy in the abdomen and the Egg Harbor Township man in the back, Mastronardy said.

During the argument, one suspect through a rock threw the church’s glass door, Mastronardy added.

A preliminary investigation revealed that about 400 invitations for the baptism party were sent out, and people who weren’t invited entered the hall.

As of last night, Mastronardy said, determining whether the victims were invited to the baptism party [color="Red"]was difficult because of a language barrier between the Hispanic victims and the officers investigating the stabbing.

Witnesses saw an unknown amount of suspects wearing black, Mastronardy said.

Police also recovered a knife at the scene believed to have been used in the fight. Both victims were transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center by Silverton First Aid Squad and Toms River Police Emergency Medical Squad.

Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Criminalistics Investigator Scott Frey, Sgt. Thomas Laffan, Mark Degrandis and James Carey are assisting in the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information regarding the stabbing is urged to contact Bajada at (732) 349-0150, ext. 7255.