A Rumson man faces charges in two violent assaults this month, including one on a cab driver, police said Monday.
Phillip Sturner, 30, of East River Road, was arrested early Friday morning after police responded to a 3:08 a.m. report of a fight in the street at the intersection of Church and First streets, Detective Chris Isherwood told redbankgreen.
There, patrol officers found two men with injuries: Sturner and the cab driver, whom police did not identify. In addition, a witness reported that a third man had been involved in the altercation and fled the scene.
With the assistance of Little Silver police, cops found Christopher Sutphen, 19, of Monmouth Beach, hiding in the area of an office building at 15 First Street, Isherwood said.
An investigation by Isherwood and Patrolman Anthony Ciambrone determined that Sutphen and Sturner had attempted to rob and assault the cabbie, Isherwood said.
Sturner was treated and released from Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank for injuries sustained during the incident. He was also charged with robbery, simple assault and theft of services. Judge Honora Kilgallen set bail at $100,000 bail.
Sutphen faceS the same charges, with bail set at $50,000, Isherwood said.
At the same time, Sturner was charged in a July 5 that police had been investigating, case, Isherwood said.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. that morning, patrol units were dispatched to the area of East River Road and Carton Street on a 911 hang-up reported through the Monmouth County Radio Room 911 center, Isherwood said. There, Patrolman Daniel Campanella and Special Officer 2 Michael Berger located an adult male in his vehicle with severe facial injuries.
The victim, who was not identified, was taken by Rumson EMS to Riverview for treatment.
A subsequent investigation by Isherwood and Campanella determined that the victim and another victim had been assaulted by Sturner at Sturner’s residence.
In that case, Sturner was charged with aggravated and simple assault as well as  false imprisonment (DP). Kilgallen set bail in that matter at $50,000.
