Assault charges lodged at youth football fracas

COLTS NECK - Charges and countercharges have been filed in the wake of a Sept. 30 physical altercation between a Colts Neck Pop Warner youth football coach and a parent of one of the coach's players.

No court appearances will be scheduled until after the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office reviews the matter and decides whether it should be moved to state Superior Court or left at the municipal level, according to attorney Raymond Santiago.

Santiago is representing Mario Romano, of Colts Neck, who is charged with aggravated assault while attending a community sponsored youth sporting event while juveniles under 16 were present. The law, enacted in 2003, upgraded the charge from disorderly conduct to a fourth degree offense that carries a potential penalty of 18 months in prison and $10,000 in fines.

Romano, who was a coach with the Colts Neck Pop Warner organization, was charged with striking Peter Van Ruitenbeek, of Colts Neck, the coach of the team that Romano's son plays on.

According to Craig Karahuta, president of the Jersey Shore Pop Warner Football League, Romano was removed from his coaching position with the Colts Neck organization on Oct. 1, the day after the incident occurred during a Pop Warner game that was being played at Colts Neck High School.

Santiago said that on Oct. 5, Romano filed countercharges of aggravated assault against Peter Van Ruitenbeek and Van Ruitenbeek's wife, Sandra. The attorney said Romano is claiming self-defense in the matter. Santiago said Romano claims that both of the Van Ruitenbeeks assaulted him.

An attempt to reach the Van Ruitenbeeks for comment was unsuccessful as they did not return a reporter's message and request seeking comment for this story.

Colts Neck police did not return messages left by Greater Media Newspapers seeking information about the incident.

Santiago said he will be able to present witnesses who will corroborate Romano's account of the incident, which is that Peter Van Ruitenbeek hit Romano first and when Romano hit Van Ruitenbeek back, Sandra Van Ruitenbeek assaulted Romano, but Romano did not respond in-kind to her assault.

Santiago said the general consensus of the people he has interviewed is that Romano was concerned about how his son was being played during the Sept. 30 game at Colts Neck High School due to that fact that his son had recently broken a bone in his wrist. The youngster plays in the 12- to 14-year-old Pop Warner division.

According to Santiago, Romano's son had a doctor's note stating he could play on offense, but he was only being played on defense. Santiago said Romano "merely asked" Van Ruitenbeek if he planned to let his son play on offense. He said that question resulted in an obscene verbal response from the coach.

The attorney said that at the time of the verbal exchange, Romano had been seated on a bench positioned on the field and that Romano remained seated when Van Ruitenbeek "approached him yelling."

Santiago said the eyewitness accounts he was given will also back up the harassment complaint Romano filed against Van Ruitenbeek.

He said the alleged "physical confrontation" between Romano and the Van Ruitenbeeks that resulted in the assault charges took place near a concession stand after the game had ended.

Freehold Regional High School District Superintendent of Schools James Wasser said he was notified about what had occurred on school district property. He said he wants to make certain people understand that the incident had nothing to do with any team associated with Colts Neck High School.

Wasser said he may suggest that FRHSD Board of Education members review the policy that permits private sports organizations to use the high school fields.

He said he is doing so because the Pop Warner incident has raised concerns for him about whether the school district is opening itself to any liability in situations like the Sept. 30 incident. Wasser said it is not only the liability issue that has him concerned, but also the negative image Colts Neck High School has been subjected to because of the incident.

"I turn on the television and there's my school being portrayed on the national media as the scene of this ugly incident," he said.