Home invasion in Dumont ends in knife attack, leading to 4 arrests in Bergen County
Multiple suspects forced their way inside the home and repeatedly struck an adult male victim in the head with a knife.
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Four 31-year-old Bergen County men have been charged in connection with an armed home invasion in Dumont that left a man struck in the head with a knife following a dispute.
Bergen County Prosecutor identified the suspects as Andrew Baik of Cliffside Park, along with Christian I. Curatola, Brendan J. Hayes, and Kerby W. Santillan, all of Bergenfield.
The charges stem from an incident early in the morning on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. According to investigators, two vehicles arrived at a private residence on Larch Avenue in Dumont following an argument between acquaintances. Multiple suspects forced their way inside the home and repeatedly struck an adult male victim in the head with a knife, causing a laceration above his right eye. Another suspect pointed the knife at a second victim inside the house and threatened them before the group fled in two vehicles.
Responding officers from the Dumont Police Department identified the two fleeing vehicles as being owned or operated by Curatola and Hayes. A months-long joint investigation by Dumont police and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office subsequently identified Baik and Santillan as additional suspects involved in the break-in.
On Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, a coordinated operation involving police from Dumont, Bergenfield, and Cliffside Park resulted in the arrests of Curatola and Santillan at their residences in Bergenfield, and Baik at his home in Cliffside Park. Hayes surrendered to authorities on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
All four men are charged with first-degree home invasion burglary, second-degree aggravated assault, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
