Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder in Monmouth County Shooting Case

Shortly before his case proceeded to trial, a Point Pleasant man accepted a plea offer from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office which required him to plead guilty to attempted murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and resisting arrest in exchange for a reduced sentence.

The charges against 64-year-old Point Pleasant resident Louis Cataldo arose out of a shooting incident outside of the Sand Bar restaurant in Brielle in 2013. During the course of events, Cataldo admittedly shot the restaurant’s general manager, a 35-year-old mother of three Nicole Griffin, who is also the wife of a New Jersey State trooper. Griffin received emergency surgery at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.

Meanwhile, police were held at bay outside of Cataldo’s Point Pleasant residence. The Ocean County Regional SWAT Team was called to the scene and eventually, Cataldo was taken into custody after firing a shot at law enforcement officials.

According to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni, the case was set to proceed to trial around June 8th, and jury selection was to begin this week. Following Cataldo’s guilty plea, which was submitted before Superior Court Judge Francis Vernonia in Freehold, prosecutors will recommend a 12-year term of incarceration, with a minimum 10-year period of parole ineligibility.

Cataldo’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 17. If his case had proceeded to trial, Cataldo could have been sentenced to consecutive terms of incarceration for each charge for which he was found guilty. Essentially, this means that his 10-year prison term could have been extended to decades of imprisonment if he was found guilty of multiple charges, such as attempted murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

For additional information regarding this case, access the following article: Restaurant owner admits trying to kill employee