Fair Lawn Teen Hospitalized After Berdan Grove Fight

Based on information provided by law enforcement, an earlier version of this story stated that a rock was used in the attack. Police have since determined that no rock was involved, only a fist, according to a detective who was working the case.

One Fair Lawn teen was in police custody and another was in the hospital Friday night following an after hours fight at a local park, police said.

A personal argument that had been brewing for a few weeks escalated into violence by the handball courts at Berdan Grove around 11 p.m. when a 15-year-old resident tackled a 14-year-old resident to the ground and punched him in the head, Sgt. Brian Metzler said. A group of about 10 teenagers witnessed the attack, which involved only the two teens, both of whom are students at Fair Lawn High School, he said.

After the fight, the victim was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with a laceration on the side of his head, Metzler said.

He said the teen's injuries were not life-threatening, but was not certain if or when he was released from the hospital. Due to the victim's injuries, police originally believed that a weapon, possibly a rock, was used in the attack, but later concluded that the attacker used only his fist, Metzler said.

"It was just a really good punch," the sergeant said.

Following the attack, the victim and a group of his friends retreated to the house of a friend who lived behind the park on Madison Terrace, Metzler said. From there, police were alerted and went looking for the attacker, whose identity they developed from speaking with witnesses, Detective David Boone said. Unable to immediately locate the teen, Boone reached the suspect's mother by phone and requested she bring him to police headquarters.

The alleged teen attacker was in police custody as of 11:45 p.m., but was not kept overnight, police said. Metzler said the suspect admitted to tackling and punching the victim in the park, and had injuries to his hand that were consistent with throwing a punch.

Juvenile charges are pending against the alleged 15-year-old attacker, Metzler said.

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