Suburban New Jersey Assault Case Highlights Importance of Being Armed

In mid-November a man allegedly attacked a suburban New Jersey mother pushing her 2-year-old in a stroller. The scenario highlights the importance of being able to self-defend even in safe communities.

It was reported that the man put her in a choke-hold and then threw her to the ground. When the victim screamed for help, her attacker took off on foot. The Howell Township Police Department said in a social media post that the alleged perpetrator was identified and charged — now in custody for a stabbing on Thanksgiving. Howell Township, incidentally, is the twelfth New Jersey community that‘s passed a permit-to-carry fee rebate resolution.

During the council meeting the evening of the rebate resolution passage, Mayor John Leggio candidly discussed the heinous attack. The November 25 meeting was prior to the apprehension of the alleged attacker. From the dais, Leggio addressed several citizens’ concerns on different topics.

“We have bad people running around all over the state of New Jersey and all the rest of the country,” Leggio said when discussing the attack. He stressed the importance of citizens not getting involved with on-going police matters, but also noted the importance of having an informed community. Leggio was not soft in his comments and called the attacker a “low life piece of sh*t …”

According to NeighborhoodScout.com, Howell, N.J. has a crime rate that’s lower than approximately 48 percent of other New Jersey municipalities.

“According to our analysis of FBI crime data, your chance of becoming a victim of crime in Howell is 1 in 99,” their report states. “However, NeighborhoodScout analyzed all cities and towns in America with a similar population size to Howell, and we found that the crime rate in Howell is one of the lowest in the nation for its size. This means Howell is one of the safest places in America in which to live for its size, a very important finding.”

Looking at those FBI statistics on the Crime Data Explorer, the number of actual aggravated assaults reported over the last five-year period is relatively low. 143 have been reported between November 2020 and February 2025. There’s been one reported homicide in Howell in that same five-year period. However, there was one additional homicide over the summer which has not yet been accounted for in the FBI’s numbers.

Howell is known for being a relatively safe community with the majority of crimes reported being burglaries, at 184 across the five-year period.

The township is also known for its lack of tolerance for drug activities within the community. Over the years, the township has had anti-drug billboards and messages posted around the town, warning potential dealers that there would be consequences if they break the law.

One billboard in 2017 said: “Thinking of bringing drugs into Howell Township? THINK AGAIN!” In 2019 anti-drug banner ads were placed around the community because billboards were cost prohibitive. The advertising campaigns were paid for in part by the Howell Police Department and Howell Alliance.

Communities that are considered safe are not immune from the criminal element, and vigilance is important.

The steps the Howell Council and Mayor have taken to empower citizens need to be saluted. With the refund resolution, citizens seeking permits to carry in the township will be refunded $125.00 of the $150.00 collected. The overall barriers and other costs associated with trying to be legally armed in the Garden State add up, and these rebates could be the difference between someone being able to legally defend themselves or not.

The mother’s terrifying attack could have gone down differently if she were prepared with some sort of self-defense tool. Anything from pepper spray up to and including a firearm could have potentially saved her from being brutalized. Take into consideration her attacker’s subsequent crime, a stabbing, things could have been even worse for her. Something for others similarly situated to take into consideration.

Crime does not take a holiday. As a matter of fact, we’re sprinting headfirst into peak season for property crimes. In the Department of Justice paper “Is Crime Seasonal?” the author observes that “during summer, the greatest number of crimes against persons are committed and the fewest against property; the contrary takes place during the winter.”

Now’s a good time to dust off those observational skills and ensure your person and home are hardened for the holiday season. It might also be a good time to think about what you can do in your community to help make and keep it safe on a grassroots level. Are you and your loved ones prepared if a criminal comes knocking?

Author’s Note: Need a good gift for someone you’d like to take personal safety more seriously? Check out “Crime Proof” by Anthony Colandro.

Editor’s Note: Self-defense is a human right, and it’s one of the reasons why our right to keep and bear arms is so important.

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