Union County Domestic Dispute Ends After Hours-Long Standoff With Police
Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 8:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ.- On Sunday, a 48-year-old Mountainside, New Jersey, man was taken into custody and jailed after being charged in connection with an hours-long standoff with police, after he barricaded himself inside a home during a domestic dispute.
According to Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, Tom Ronckovitz, 48, of Mountainside, New Jersey, was formally charged with one count of first-degree Attempted Murder; one count of second-degree Aggravated Assault, for Causing or Attempting to Cause Serious Bodily Injury; one count of third-degree Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon; and second-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose.
Ronckovitz was processed on the charges and remanded to the Essex County Correctional Facility pending future court proceedings in Union County Superior Court in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
The charges stem from an incident that began during the afternoon hours of Saturday, October 18, 2025, when members of the Mountside Police Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting a domestic dispute involving a handgun at a residence located on the 200 Block of Bridal Path in Mountainside. Upon arrival, Police Officers encountered Ronckovitz, who subsequently refused to exit the home.
During Standoff, Ronckovitz Fires Rounds At Police Officers
Police Officers quickly secured the surrounding area around the home, and members of the Union County Emergency Response Team, with the assistance of the Elizabeth Police Emergency Services Unit, and the New Jersey State Police Teams Unit, with support from mental health professionals, activated the Union County ARRIVE Critical Incident Model in an attempt to have Ronckovitz peacefully exit the home.
After attempting for several hours to have Ronckovitz exit the home, Ronckovitz then began firing multiple rounds from inside the house at Police Officers and Police vehicles. The standoff ended during the early morning hours of Sunday, October 19, 2025, after law enforcement officials entered the home and talked Ronckovitz into surrendering peacefully.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
