Road Rage Incident Results in Arrest of Man and His Mother at Brick Plaza

An East Brunswick man and his mother were arrested Feb. 14 following a road rage incident near the intersection of Chambers Bridge Road and Route 70 in Brick.

Mark Matteo, 25, of Buck Road in East Brunswick, was arrested after a motorist flagged down Brick Police Patrolman Eric Haugh in the Brick Plaza parking lot, according to Brick Sgt. Keith Reinhard. The motorist told Haugh that a man, later identified as Matteo, cut him off at the intersection of Route 70 and Chambers Bridge Road, then pointed a knife at him while their two vehicles were stopped at a red light.

The driver, who was not identified, followed Matteo's vehicle into the Brick Plaza parking lot and called police, before flagging down Haugh when he arrived at the shopping center. Haugh located Matteo's car, unccupied, after a few minutes. Then, Joanne Mateo, 60, of East Brunswick, approached the vehicle and asked Haugh what was going on, according to Reinhard.

After first telling police she had driven to Brick Plaza by herself, she later said she came with a friend. Eventually, police found out Mark Matteo, the man accused of brandishing the knife, was Joanne Matteo's son, Reinhard said. Mark Matteo would later tell police he was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his mother, and was cut off and followed into Brick Plaza, according to a police report.

Mark Matteo followed police to the department's headquarters on Brick Boulevard, where he was arrested and charged by Ptl. Brian Williams with making terroristic threats, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon. He was also arrested on $2,364 in outstanding warrants out of Bellmawr and Camden. He was being lodged at the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, in lieu of $25,000 cash bail.

Joanne Matteo was charged with obstruction and released on a summons.