MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ — A Mountainside man has been arrested and charged after an hours-long standoff with police, during which he barricaded himself within a residence located on the 200 block of Bridal Path, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Mountainside Police Chief Joseph Giannuzzi announced Monday.
Tom Ronckovitz, 48, of Mountainside, is charged with one count of first-degree attempted murder, one count of second-degree aggravated assault causing or attempting to cause serious bodily injury, one count of third-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose.
In the afternoon of Oct. 18, Mountainside police officers responded to a residence on Bridal Path for a report of a domestic dispute involving a handgun.
Upon arrival, officers encountered Ronckovitz, who refused to exit the residence.
Officers secured the area around the residence, and the Union County Emergency Response Team, Elizabeth Police Emergency Services Unit, and New Jersey State Police TEAMS Unit, with support from consulting mental health professionals, activated the Union County ARRIVE Critical Incident Model to encourage Ronckovitz to surrender voluntarily.
After attempting communication with the suspect for several hours, Ronckovitz began firing multiple shots from within the residence at law enforcement officers and law enforcement vehicles.
The standoff ended in the early morning hours of Oct. 19, when law enforcement entered the house and established communication with Ronckovitz, resulting in his surrender.
Ronckovitz is currently held in the Essex County Jail pending his first appearance in Union County Superior Court.
Anyone with additional information is urged to contact Union County Prosecutor’s Office Sergeant Katelyn Prata at 908-447-6195 or Mountainside Police Chief Joseph Giannuzzi at 201-306-4114.
