Essex Fells Man Threatens Suicide After Beating Dad With Hammer, Authorities Say

An Essex Fells man was found holding a knife to his throat early Sunday morning after beating his father in the head with a hammer inside a Fellscrest Road home, authorities said.

John Mekell, 46, was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon after Essex Fells police responded to a report he was standing on his front lawn holding a knife to his own throat and threatening to kill himself at 3:45 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

According to a statement issued by Acting Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Essex Fells Police Chief Vincent Kulik, Mekell was talked out of harming himself, but as officers were taking him into custody, he said his father needed medical attention and was inside the Fellscrest Road home.

Police said Mekell's father, also named John, was found on the kitchen floor with severe head trauma. A bloodstained hammer was found at the scene, police said.

John Mekell Sr. was transported to Morristown Medical Center, where he is listed in critical condition.

The prosecutor’s homicide task force and the Essex Fells Police are continuing to investigate the incident. It is believed a domestic argument may have caused the beating, the prosecutor's office said.