North Arlington Mom Assaulted Secaucus Teen Basketball Player: Police

NORTH ARLINGTON, NJ — A North Arlington woman was arrested during a Jan. 3 girls varsity basketball game against Secaucus High School, after police say she rushed onto the court and put her arm around the neck of a teenage Secaucus girl.

Christina Villatoro, 32, was charged with third-degree child endangerment, fourth-degree simple assault at a youth sporting event and disorderly conduct, a disorderly person's offense. Villatoro is the mother of a North Arlington player, who had been struggling with the Secaucus teen for the ball.

The encounter happened just before 6 p.m. at a varsity girls game between Secaucus High School and North Arlington High School, hosted at North Arlington.

"With under two minutes left in the game, players from both sides became involved in a heated exchange over the ball, prompting the officials to stop the game," said North Arlington Police.

"At which time, a player from Secaucus got into a physical altercation with a North Arlington player. As officials separated the players, Ms. Villatoro, the North Arlington player’s mother, rushed onto the court and placed her arm around the Secaucus player’s neck and applied pressure."

A North Arlington Police officer was present at the game and he quickly intervened and separated the mother and the teen. Police escorted Villatoro out of the high school gym following the incident and she was later charged.