🚨 Drunken intruder crashes into wrong Bergen County apartment, sparking violent home invasion scene.
🔪 Resident defends family during struggle, leaving suspect with serious head laceration.
🚔 Police say suspect charged with trespassing; homeowner faces no charges.

NEW MILFORD — A wild weekend home invasion in Bergen County involved a drunken intruder, a stabbing and a wrong address.

Drunken intruder targets wrong New Milford apartment

Just after 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 29, New Milford police went to an apartment on Faller Drive for a report of a home invasion/burglary with a possible stabbing involved, Capt. Kevin Van Saders said.

When police arrived, the suspect, with a 6-inch cut across his head, was being restrained on the kitchen floor by a male resident, Van Saders said. Cops estimated the wound to be 1 to 2 inches at the deepest part.

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Homeowner confronts suspect, fears for family safety

The homeowner told officers he heard knocking on his door that woke him up. He cracked open the front door and advised the man, who was drunk, that he was at the wrong apartment.

The man banged even harder on the door. In fear for his wife and child and for his own safety, the resident grabbed a kitchen knife and again cracked the door open and told the man he had the wrong apartment, Van Saders explained.

Violent struggle inside apartment leads to stabbing

This time, the man kicked open the door to the apartment, and the force pushed the resident into the living room.

Van Saders said the man entered the apartment and rushed at the resident. A struggle ensued in the kitchen. Both men fell to the floor and the resident slashed the intruder from above the right ear to the back of the head.

Suspect hospitalized, charged; no charges for resident

The accused, now identified as a 26-year-old male from Long Branch, was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. He was charged with trespassing with further complaints pending.

No charges have been filed against the apartment resident, Van Saders said.

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