Crime & Safety

Recent Cedar Grove Grad Killed With Steak Knife in Confrontation

Totowa man faces murder charges in stabbing death of Brian Topoleski early Monday morning in Little Falls, prosecutor says.

By Teresa Akersten

A confrontation between two groups turned deadly early Monday morning when a recent Cedar Grove High School graduate was stabbed to death in Little Falls, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office. 

Brian Topoleski, 18, was pronounced dead an hour after he was wounded numerous times by another man wielding a steak knife on residential Jacobus Avenue in Little Falls, Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said.

Jonathan Lafontaine, 20, of Totowa, faces first-degree murder charges, Valdes said. She said it remained unclear how the confrontation became violent.

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"If the facts had been more complicated, maybe it would make more sense, but it doesn't," Valdes said.

The stabbing resulted in a two-hour standoff before Lafontaine was discovered hiding behind the house on Jacobus Avenue, Valdes said. He was arrested without incident.

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The occupants of the house surrendered and were taken into custody and released after cooperating as witnesses.

Prosecutors said Topoleski and five friends were coming from Applebee’s in Totowa in a Mercedes Benz when a Jeep containing four young passengers, including Lafontaine, pulled behind them at the intersection of Union Boulevard and Main Street.

The people in the Jeep thought they knew the occupants of the Mercedes, but it turned out they didn’t, Valdes said.

"Within moments the occupants of the Jeep realized that they did not know the occupants of the Mercedes," she said. "Words were exchanged between the occupants of both cars."

After the exchange between the groups, the Mercedes followed the Jeep for about a mile and a half to the house on Jacobus Avenue, Valdes said.

Prosecutors said Topoleski and other occupants of the Mercedes got out the car the confrontation picked up again in front of the house. 

Lafontaine then went inside and grabbed two kitchen knives, but his friend, who lives in the house, tried to persuade him not to go outside. The friend got one knife away from him while sustaining a cut to his hand, Valdes said.

Lafontaine then went outside and punched Topoleski who was moving away from the house and stabbed him in the chest, Valdes said. Both knives were recovered from the scene, Valdes said.

Topoleski was taken to St. Joseph's Regional Trauma Center in Paterson where he died from his injuries. 

Prosecutors did not immediately have a court date for Lafontaine.


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