FAIR LAWN, N.J. — Fair Lawn police say an argument over a girl sparked a melee early today in which three teenagers were stabbed and 20 people were arrested.
The fight, which may have involved up to 30 people, started shortly after 2 a.m. outside a home in the Bergen County community and soon spread to some other nearby properties. Those involved in the fracas apparently ranged in age from 17 to 21.
Maor Azoulay, 18, of New York City, and two Fair Lawn residents — Arsen Musalaev, 20, and Eduard Ostrovsky, 18 — sustained stab wounds and were taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where they were treated and released.
Investigators believe the brawl began shortly after a youth who lived at the home where the fight started had argued with Christian J. Ward, 19, of Garfield during a cell phone conversation. The youth’s name was not disclosed, and it was not immediately clear if he was one of the stabbing victims.
A short time later, Ward apparently came to Fair Lawn with a “posse” of about 10 friends, and they soon fought with 10 of the youth’s friends, Capt. Anthony Serrao said. The stabbings occurred sometime during the course of the brawl, which remained under investigation late Saturday afternoon.
Louis Pizzi, 21, of Garfield, was charged with rioting and three counts each of aggravated assault and weapons possession, while Ward and 18 other alleged combatants were charged with rioting.
Telephone numbers for Ward and Pizzi could not be found Saturday afternoon, and authorities were not sure if either man had retained a lawyer.