New Jersey

Man Barricades Himself in NJ House After Chucking Mugs At Restaurant: Cops

A SWAT team negotiated for hours with a man who barricaded himself in his home across from an Italian restaurant in New Jersey after throwing coffee mugs at diners trying to get a meal, police said.

The suspect allegedly began throwing coffee mugs at people going into the Villa Amalfi restaurant across the street in Cliffside Park about 8:15 p.m., according to authorities. Cliffside Park police said the situation ended around 2:30 a.m. Friday. Police said they couldn't say if anyone was in custody. 

After someone complained, police were called to the scene. That's when the man barricaded himself in his home, at Marion Street and Palisades Avenue.

Police said it was not clear if he was armed or posed a danger, but SWAT teams were called to the scene and the road around the restaurant was closed as a precaution. 

It was also unclear why the man started chucking mugs, or if he had any previous dust-ups with the restaurant or its patrons. But police said that they had been called to his home before. 

The situation had many residents in the normally quiet Bergen County town out in the roadways waiting to find out what had happened.

"This never happens around here," said Mark Epstein, who lives near the restaurant. "It's definitely new."

It's not clear if there were any injuries. Pedestrians and motorists were advised to avoid the area.

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