Police responded to a Brick Township home Monday night after they say a party got out of control, resulting in the seizure of guns, charges filed and two officers being injured.
Police say at least 400 people gathered at the home of Michelle Cicchillo on Atlantic Drive. They were called out to reports of people gathering on neighbors’ properties, extensive drug use, loud music and using other people's lawns as bathrooms.
For the most part, everyone obeyed orders, but police say 24-years-old Darius Edwards, of Brooklyn, sped off in a Mercedes.
They say he hit two officers, one of them being Brick Police Chief Jim Riccio's son, Joseph Riccio, who suffered a minor knee injury.
Edwards led police on a chase before he was eventually found by police in Brielle and arrested, where officers found a loaded handgun and drugs on him.
Minutes earlier, Brielle police say officers stopped a separate car for speeding with four people inside and recovered two more loaded guns and drugs.
Brielle Police Chief Gary Olsen says the recovery of firearms is concerning to him.
"These are three handguns that we found," says Olsen says. "You have to conceive that there's a lot more handguns in the hands of criminals out there. I'm definitely worried for our residents and I'm worried about my officers who are in contact with these people," Olsen said.
Six different departments from both Ocean and Monmouth counties responded to the incident, and police say this wasn't the first time police were called to the home.
They say the homeowner was previously cited for a Fourth of July party that also got out of control.
Cicchillo has been charged with maintaining a nuisance property, and she will also be held responsible for the cleanup and cost of the law enforcement response.