A late-night fight outside JoJo’s Bar & Grill in Garfield quickly drew a larger police response early Sunday morning after officers were called to the Monroe Street establishment, authorities said.
Garfield police were dispatched shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 4 following reports of a large fight outside the bar. When officers arrived, they found two people still fighting, prompting the department to request assistance from police in Lodi, Wallington and Saddle Brook.
The confrontation was estimated to involve roughly 30 people, according to police.
Four people were arrested after officers intervened. Three were charged with simple assault, while another person was charged with obstruction, according to Garfield police. All four were released at the scene.
A woman was also injured during the incident and received treatment from emergency medical personnel.
The overnight response brought together officers from several nearby departments as police worked to break up the disturbance and determine who was involved in the confrontation.
Recent incidents have also brought attention to the bar
The latest disturbance comes months after another incident at the same Garfield establishment.
In May, police arrested a 28-year-old security guard following a dispute connected to a vehicle crash outside the bar. Authorities alleged that the man pointed a handgun during the confrontation and falsely represented himself as a police officer. Investigators said he was working security at the establishment at the time.
JoJo’s was also connected to a fatal 2024 stabbing that remained in the spotlight this year.
Richard Franceschi, a 31-year-old Hawthorne resident, was fatally stabbed outside the bar in the early morning hours of Feb. 4, 2024. Prosecutors said five men were charged in connection with the killing.
The final fugitive in that case, Ricky “Angel” Vargas, was arrested in Longview, Texas, in May 2026 after more than two years on the run. Authorities said investigators from New Jersey and Texas, along with federal and local law enforcement agencies, helped locate and arrest him. He was later held pending extradition to New Jersey.
For the Oct. 4 fight, police have not indicated that the incident was connected to the earlier stabbing or the May confrontation. The four people arrested in the latest case were released at the scene, and the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the large disturbance remains the focus of authorities.
