3 Madison Men Charged in Cook Plaza Assault

Three Madison men were arrested Thursday morning and charged with aggravated assault in connection with an early Sunday morning, police said.

Anthony P. Albanese, 18, and Matthew Marano and Anthony Costa, both 20, were charged, according to a statement released Thursday.

Armed with arrest warrants, police arrested the defendants over the course of Thursday morning, police said.

Albanese was arrested following a motor vehicle stop on Myrtle Avenue at 7:35 a.m., Marano was arrested at work at 8 a.m., and Costa turned himself in to authorities at 9:38 a.m., police said.

Marano and Albanese were taken to the Morris County jail on $50,000 bail, and Costa was released on his own recognizance, according to police. The investigation was led by Detective Edward Mitchko, who was assisted by Patrolman Craig Perrelli during the arrests.

The altercation at the Cook Plaza parking lot left three borough men, including two who were unconscious when authorities arrived, with serious injuries Sunday at about 1:40 a.m., police said. The injured men were taken to Morristown Medical Center. Police said Thursday they do not know what started the confrontation.