Dear Editor,
The guy was charged with "attempted assault"? The victim is in critical condition.

Still reading "the victim of an alleged assault". Again, the victim is in critical condition. The assailant is alleged no? Might be time to look into closing down this establishment which is known allegedly speaking to many as the Fighthouse. Was there no bouncer or bar security on scene?

The saddest part of this story is that these are 2 GROWN MEN.....

~ Prayers go out to Bobby & his family during this difficult time. ~xoxoxo's

Prayers to Bob and family...

you can attempt murder and get out the next day?

100% agree Mike. The courts deemed that was sufficient and he posted it. Now the residents of Barnegat have someone who cant control himself walking around in society. On a side note were there off duty police in the bar who were friends with the assailant there? If so, what town were they with.

No one failed to mention that the guy in the hospital was causing a problem at lighthouse before this all went down

How many off duty police from Barnegat were with the assailant?

regardless who started Chris,doesnt give the right to use your body as a weapon and strike another person and continue when he is down!! That is one sick individual who should monitor his drinking.What a great example this so called "Family man" set for his children!!! Hoepfully they take this as a lesson u cant go around hitting people!! I can not believe posting bail or not this man is out and free to do as he pleases MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOUL!!

3 off duty cops. There was a problem earlier with the same cops, a friend and the victim.

An accessory is a person who assists in the commission of a crime, but who does not actually participate in the commission of the crime as a joint principal. The distinction between an accessory and a principal is a question of fact and degree:

The principal is the one whose acts or omissions, accompanied by the relevant mens rea (Latin for "guilty mind"), are the most immediate cause of the actus reus (Latin for "guilty act").
If two or more people are directly responsible for the actus reus, they can be charged as joint principals (see common purpose). The test to distinguish a joint principal from an accessory is whether the defendant independently contributed to causing the actus reus rather than merely giving generalised and/or limited help and encouragement.

Chris- if the victim was causing a problem before the attack took place, then the Staff of the Lighthouse had a duty to protect all of the patrons and remove the victim from the property. Clearly they chose not to do that.
If there were police in there (on or off duty) they should have intervened and diffused the situation, not stood by and watched. Foolish acts made in hast while drinking will now cost everyone involved. No ones life will go back and be the same. What if god forbid this man passes away???? How will Mr. Lombardo feel knowing that he may have taken a life??? What if this man never regains use of his body??? Will whatever the victim said or did be worth knowing that you permanently changed someones life? What kind of example does this set for his children???

From comments I read under the original article, Lombardo was friends with 2 of the off duty cops from Barnegat. If the cops were his so called friend, why didn't the cops stop his friend from beating this man so bad to get attempted murder. Maybe if his cop friends stopped Lombardo before he beat him so bad that the man is fighting for his life, lombardo wouldn't be facing attempted murder. Some friends they were. (not fact but just comments I read)

Listen I'm sure all were no angels in this includeing the victim, I'm not saying what mike did was right at all but I garenty the victim was no angel in this

Who were the three off duty cops from Barnegat that were with Lambardo? I do not belive that is protecting and serving the community when they allow the individual they were with to beat somebody.

Chris you are a clown so I guess the next time you are on line at the welfare office acting a fool then you deserve to get your head cracked and put in the hospital right. You sir are a clown and most likely a friend of big Mike.

I am a friend of mikes I'm not going to that I'm not and your funny about the welfare joke there buddy. I have a right to my opinion and I believe everyone was no angel in this, so your a clown for believing that the victim was totally innocent in this

Got that right.

I dont care if he even started the fight still doesnt give the guy the right to beat the crap out of him and put him in the hospital nobody deserves that i hope that guy goes away for a long time

Hope u need the police some time and they don't help you

i am always told that cops get paid high salaries and great pensions because their job is 24/7 to protect and serve ......sounds like a few of these overpaid ticket writers should be fired

They take an oath. Serve and PROTECT. If all these rumors are true about instigating, retalliation and personal issues from off duty police, us as citizens should be more than concerned about those we trust to uphold our laws. I think our new editor has the undaunting task of bringing the truth to light over this incident. I ask the editor to do so for the people of Barnegat, If these rumors become allegations I would hope Barnegat IA will act swiftly with immediate suspensions until the courts sort this mess out.

I also believe on the one of the busiet bar nights of the year, Lighthouse should have had adequate security to prevent this man from nearly being beaten to death. Finally, I read there is a video of the attack. Was it a person video taping or a fixed bar camera. If it was a person filming it and they chose not to help, they should be charged as well.

I challenge Katia Raina to investigate the rumors of off duty police being friends of the assailant and allowing this man to be nearly beaten to death and doing nothing. We'd all like the truth.

RickNY
I was there and only saw the aftermath. Bottom line is inevitably drinking brings out the UGLY in people. Two lives and families changed for the worse forever over BS and Booze

No offense to anyone who lives out there but theres always gonna be violence in areas where the average persons iq is lower than the national standard,most of waretown and parts of barnaget are actually a step behind in society :(

It long overdue.... sign the petition

an Armed responsible citizen could have stopped this from happening!

http://www.change.org/petitions/new-jersey-right-to-carry

@ lee long, no offense but that is offensive. Violence is everywhere. Most serial killers have high iqs. @ john b, being armed could have made it worse.

Really? If you were getting the crap kicked outta you, you'ld kiss my ass for stopping the aggressor! Time freezes when someone says stop and they're looking down the barrel of a handgun pointed at them. You Chris, are an idiot. Concealed carry owners are trained and background checked, to the point where they will know what you ate for dinner last night!

My thoughts and prayers go out to bobby and his family... i dont care what happened.. you dont beat someone close to death. one more kick or punch and he could have died... he could still die. that is the point here. if there were cops there or not someone should have stepped in and stopped it.. All the people there and NOBODY had the guts to jump in and help Bobby.... REALLY???? all i can say is KARMA ... i hope those that watched,videoed, laughed, and did nothing that could have helped... get there day... and bobby is lucky enough to be there to see it. If there were cops there and they didnt step in then they should be fired no pay of any kind or benefits.. they didnt help save a human.. i bet if it was the cops brother,father, cousin, whatever and they started the problem they would have wanted someone to step in and help there loved one so they didnt get put in the hospital close to death or even die... Really... Use your head he is human like the rest of us. No matter what the situation is. RIGHT IS RIGHT ... WRONG IS WRONG...

The responsible arms citizen WAS NOT either of the 2 combatents!
It would have been a NON Drunk person, with the Handgun Drinking and concealed carry permits forbid that combination!
Remember the key word is RESPONSIBLE!

The article says his name is Lombardi but it's actually Lomdardo.

First of all i want you all to know I am Bobbys Aunt and would like to say that there was a video inside and out that tells Everything I wish all of u could see it I think a lot of your opinions would change I hope jusice prevails

Bobby was knocked out with the first punch he didnt stand a chance to protect himself it was the severe damage that was done to him while he was knocked out that is preventing him from breathing on his own at this time

Keep paying those cops with your hard earned money just so you all feel safe. Have none of you seen what the cops in NYC do to the OWS protestors. You need to wake up and stop feeding the monster that keeps u down. State police is all we need. Get rid of these local thugs with badges

An armed citizen at a St Patricks day party sounds like just the right solution.

I just hope the whole truth comes out . If it is true that he had a problem with an off duty cop and this off duty cop allegedly called mike to the bar, well then this cop is just as guilty as Mike and even worse becaus he is a cop.

Hey loser or shall I say frank, there are 3 Chris's on here commenting

but all the prosecuter or who ever is investigating this has to do is check this guys phone records

Lots of misinformation. Here's some FACTS:

1. Yes, there were 3 off-duty, Barnegat police officers at the Lighthouse at the time of the incident. Only two of them were there with Mike L. All 3 of them were INSIDE the restaurant, while the incident took place OUTSIDE. So as some people have indicated otherwise, none of these officers just sat there and did nothing to stop the fight. They had no idea what was happening outside until it was all over.

2. Many people are wondering why no one tried to break up the fight. Someone did. Another person from inside the restaurant walked out the front door and witnessed the fight. He immediately grabbed Mike and pulled him off Bob, then ran back inside to get help while a few of the bag pipers (who had just arrived) attended to Bob.

@Patricia Thompson I know you're Family, and I understand it's a difficult time for both Families involved.

However, you speak as if you've actually watched the video of the incident. I find that hard to believe. That has been entered into evidence, and the only people that should legally have had the opportunity to see it are the Waretown Police, Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, and MAYBE the Manager at the Lighthouse who assisted in turning over the video.

Maybe staying neutral should stay quiet and stop defending his police buddies.

I never said I seen the video what I am saying is that there was video and videos tell the truth and we will let our jusice system decide

since when did my family live behind a@p , you must be from waretown lol

Staying neutral must be the cop in question lol. The assailants children weren't molested his wife wasn't raped so I find it hard to understand why a man as big as him thought that first knocking this guy out with a sucker punch was cool then continually bashing his face in with punches and kicks while he was out cold and he isnt the bad guy. Now this goon is walking around with civilized humans and he shouldnt be

im just playing anyway ingnorance is everywhere lol

Don't know anything about this establishment or the people who go there. Judging from some of the comments, it's a pretty rough crowd. Don't know how anyone can justify beating a man close to death for some slight.

Praying for all involved. This is why if you are an alcoholic you shouldn't drink. You either end up dead or in jail. The lighthouse continues to get people drunk and send them on their way putting the rest of us at risk. Every. Single.day. Let's all pray this man makes it and gets clean. Apparently he is a father. Also that the man who did this gets help. The lighthouse is really not managed well and continually gets no repercussions from anything. It is a breeding ground for violence, drunks, drug users, criminals & deadbeat fathers and mothers. It's time for it to GO!!

"Staying Neutral" - for someone who is supposedly "neutral", your sure seem to have a lot of info that seems to be "internal knowledge". Seems you have no issue spouting off at the mouth about what you know, funny and ironic as to the user name you chose. I'd be willing to bet you're on a Barnegat payroll, or are being fed info from someone who is....

The situation is sad, more so that a so called "man" would continue to harm another individual AFTER they are already down or wounded. It's even more disturbing that this individual has been released on bail and has the freedom to roam Barnegat, while a person whom they physically harmed is unable to do the same.

It's disgusting as to what peoples mentality is and how they believe they are ever so self righteous... To fight is one thing, to continue to assault, abuse, kick, punch and beat another person when they are down and unable to defend themselves is savage and animalistic behavior.

I hope the victim recovers and that justice will put the animal where it belongs, in a cage, away from society...

The Lighthouse Tavern is not to blame here. St. Patrick's Day is not at fault. There are two people responsible for this. One's in ICU, the other is charged with Attempted Murder. It has nothing to due with the date or venue. And the Barnegat Police, on duty or off are not responsible, it happened in WARETOWN.

Lol "nothing to do with the date or the venue". You have got to be kidding!! They were at this place that over serves, they were drunk and got into a fight. Sounds like it was a bar fight where one person was blinded w anger (the lighthouse is also refered to the fighthouse). So saying it had nothing to do with the date or venue is laughable. The barnegat cops are not responsible if they didn't know, I agree. Let's hope there is a tape that brings this case to justice. I just don't think as a community we should turn a blind eye to what kind if people this establishment is attracting.

Eric, yes an off duty officer has a legal and moral obligation to intercede if he witnesses a crime being committed. But by all eye-witnesses accounts, they were inside the bar and did not witness or have knowledge of the incident until it was over. As I'm sure you know, I was a member of the Barnegat PD for over 30 years and do not know of one officer who would not have intervened to prevent this tragedy, whether they were Lombardo's friend or not. I'm 1200 miles away and have no "inside knowledge" of events, so I will wait for the facts to come out before passing judgement. That said, I wish Bob a speedy and complete recovery and know that justice will prevail.

NJ retired cop with tapayer pension = 1200 miles away

Wow, maybe some of you should read the thing you wrote before submitting it! Right now everything is hear say and you want to crucify a retired Officer for shedding light on rules and regulations, really?

I have to agree with Henry. Many of you are referencing the "trash" that frequent local bars, yet you all seem to fit the profile with your ignorant comments. This situation is very sad for all involved, especially the families that have to deal with the aftermath.

This is the second article about this event. In neither one have I read anything about police, on duty or off duty being there at the time of the alleged assault.

Whipping folks into a frenzy on hearsay is the very thing that insights riots. To the jackass that has an obvious disdain for peace officers in general, I'm glad they are here to protect me from the likes of you. Bobby, I hope you pull through this and I hope Mike gets the justice that is his right under the constitution. The Lighthouse is an establishment that I frequent and enjoy. The management and wait staff have always been professional, courteous and on occasion I have witnessed them protecting the well being of their patrons. I know Bob's son and how devastated he must be by all this, and I hope he finds comfort and peace soon. As for the conspiracy theorists, I have plenty of thoughts that I can pen about you all, but my better sense and good upbringing prevents me from posting what I feel about. You have no shame and lack common decency.

It happened in waretown? So it was was waretown police? If so they are def gettin there street cred up with the violence lol

Just wondering.....were you their? I mean, did you witness the whole exchange outside? Well if you did, why didn't you and all of the other witness intervene? I'm still shocked that everyone just watched for as long as it did. Power is always in numbers!
It seems to me that most of you feel guilt, kinda like Mike Vick in his crusade against dog fighting.

First I would like to send my thoughts and prayers to both families involved. I wish the victim a full recovery and I hope he returns to his family soon. Two people started this fight and one idiot made it last a lot longer and I don't think anyone is arguing that fact. This fight could have happened anywhere, Lighthouse tavern, caffrey's, Doyle's- no matter where it happened people would blame the establishment. Bar fights are bound to happen and if this occurred inside the establishment then I could see placing blame on the bar for not intervening faster but it happened outside. I was not at the Lighthouse Tavern so I did not witness the events that took place but I can tell you I was there last St Patrick's Day and it was insanely crowded (most bars on this day) but I imagine a lot was going on and unfortunately it may have taken awhile by the time someone ran inside to get the attention of someone to help. I know several people who were inside the bar and can vouch that the off duty officers were INSIDE the bar and were not aware of what was taking place at the time. Friends with Lombardo or not- does not mean that those officers were attached at the hip to him and with him every minute of the night. If they had been outside they would have an obligation to step in and try to break the fight up but they were not. So how about we stop the allegations against them and talk about the 2 individuals involved. My heart goes out to the families involved.

Mike's brother (John Lombardo, Jr.) is currently serving an 8 year sentence for killing my sister in a drunk driving accident almost 5 years ago. It's pretty ironic that this victim ended up at Jersey Shore's Trauma Unit, just like my sister, because these men drank too much! Totally outraged!