Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • July 25, 2012 Wyckoff Assault with bat sends one to jail, two to Valley by John Koster Two young men were treated for serious injuries at Valley Hospital and their assailant landed in Bergen County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail after a July 16 brawl in which an 18-year-old Wyckoff man used a baseball bat beat up two other teens in an argument over $40. Wyckoff police officers arrested the assailant and charged him with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of possession of a weapon with the intent to use it unlawfully, and one count of criminal mischief. Bail was set at $25,000 by Municipal Judge Russel Teschon and the defendant was sent to Bergen County Jail in lieu of bail. The incident began at 12:44 a.m. The Wyckoff Police Department responded to a 911 call about a fight in progress at the Boulder Run Shopping Center. Sergeant Brian Zivkovich, Patrolman Peter Goodman, and Patrolman Terrance Murphy found that an 18-year-old Wyckoff man and an 18-year-old Oakland man had sustained serious injuries after being struck with a baseball bat. The Oakland man was treated and required 10 stitches to his head. The Wyckoff man required surgery on his arm. The assailant had fled the scene before the police arrived. Investigation, with Detective Sergeant Joseph Soto assisting the other three officers, disclosed that the two young men who were injured had gone to the home of the alleged assailant on Madison Avenue in Wyckoff to attempt to collect a $40 debt. The man’s mother confronted them and told them to leave the premises. The man who reportedly owed the money picked up a small baseball bat and then went looking for the two men and found them at the Boulder Run Shopping Center. He reportedly began striking their car and when the two men got out, a fight started. The man with the baseball bat was arrested at home later than same night. The Wyckoff Police Department wishes to caution the community about the dangers of alcohol poisoning, and the need for those who experience alcohol poisoning to receive medical attention. Celebrations, hazing, challenges, and dares many times involve the abuse of alcoholic beverages, which should never be condoned. These activities, however, commonly encourage young people to consume more alcohol than their bodies can process. The result of consuming 21 shots in an hour to celebrate turning 21 or consuming a full bottle of alcohol on a dare are typical scenarios for causing alcohol poisoning. Until recently, alcohol poisoning was downplayed by colleges where the college did not want bad publicity. Information from Remove Intoxicated Drivers estimates that as many as 4,000 deaths occur each year from alcohol overdosing. any deaths are first-time drinkers who had never had alcohol before. However, in the past, death certificates listed cardiac arrest or asphyxiation as the cause of death. Medi- Police remind residents of alcohol poisoning dangers cal examiners were hesitant to tell grieving families that the cause of death was too much alcohol. This is changing as organizations are trying to provide information about the dangers of drinking alcohol. Some people may laught when an individual has too much to drink and passes out -- but how can you tell if the person is suffering from alcohol poisoning? If the person has passed out or sleeping and cannot be awakened. Several deaths have occurred because friends or family members assumed that the victim would “sleep it off.” If a person drinks too much alcohol before falling asleep, the alcohol can shut down breathing and heart functions and kill a person within a few hours. Even if a person does not die, alcohol overdose can lead to irreversible brain damage. Some critical signs of alcohol poisoning: • Mental confusion, stupor • No response to pinching the skin • Vomiting while sleeping • Seizures • Slow or irregular breathing • Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness. Some common myths about alcohol poisoning: • Drinking coffee will sober the person up. • Taking a cold shower or bath will help. • Sleeping it off will help. • Walking it off will help. What should you do if you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning? • Call 911 immediately. Time is critical and a quick response may save a life. • Do not leave the person alone. Continue to try to revive him or her. • Turn the person on his or her side to prevent choking if the individual vomits. • Monitor his or her breathing closely. If breathing stops, have someone begin CPR. • Tell the Emergency Medical Technicians the symptoms and the amount of alcohol the person has consumed.