Former Police Officer Arrested After Violent Home Invasion Leaves Kids Injured in Bergen County

A father tried to protect his kids. He grabbed the only thing he had: a baseball bat.

Then the man he was trying to stop took it from him.

That’s what happened on Phelps Avenue in Bergenfield, New Jersey, on the evening of May 5, 2026, and the man who did it is a former police officer with a prior felony conviction.

The Attack

Just before 6 PM, Nikola Lulaj, 52, of Seaside Heights, showed up at a Bergenfield home and kicked in the front door. Police say he came to “confront” a 52-year-old man over an “ongoing issue.”

The homeowner grabbed a bat to shield his children. He tried to retreat inside. Lulaj grabbed the bat anyway, smashed through the door and a window, and followed them in, causing lacerations to both the father and his two kids.

When officers arrived, they found men arguing in the street. Multiple adults and two juveniles had injuries. Everyone refused medical attention. The bat was recovered as evidence.

Who Is Nikola Lulaj?

This isn’t Lulaj’s first time in handcuffs. Not even close.

He’s a former Hoboken police officer who, in 2018, was convicted of stealing $187,000 in Superstorm Sandy relief funds.

He and his wife falsely claimed their Seaside Heights vacation property was their primary residence to collect FEMA money, SBA loans, and multiple state grants.

In January 2019, he was sentenced to five years in state prison and lost his badge permanently.

Now he’s out and facing six new charges, including first-degree home invasion, aggravated assault, and endangering another person.

Why This Matters

Bergen County ranks among the safest counties in New Jersey, with a violent crime rate nearly 60% below the national average. A home invasion here, especially one involving children, hits differently.

But here’s what nobody’s talking about: those two kids didn’t just get cut by a bat. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, children exposed to violence at home face serious long-term risks, including anxiety, PTSD, and behavioral problems that can follow them for years.

And per Patch’s original reporting, this all started over an unresolved personal dispute. The kind of “ongoing issue” that quietly builds until someone’s door gets kicked in.

Cases like this are becoming a pattern worth paying attention to.

If you follow local crime news and want real-time updates on home invasion cases across the country, there’s a community on WhatsApp where these stories are shared as they break. Worth checking if you’re keeping an eye on neighborhood safety.

A man who once took an oath to protect people just terrorized a family in their own home. That’s not just a crime story. That’s a trust failure.

What Happens Next

Lulaj was taken to the Bergen County Corrections and Rehabilitation Center and is awaiting court. First-degree home invasion in New Jersey carries up to 20 years, and his prior conviction is an aggravating factor a judge will weigh at sentencing.

The “ongoing issue” between him and the victim remains publicly unnamed. That detail matters, and it’s one to watch as the case moves forward.

This case isn’t isolated. A teen in Philadelphia ran a multi-county crime spree before anyone connected the dots, same pattern of escalating offenses going unchecked.

In Alaska, a man carried out two violent home invasions just 16 minutes apart before police caught up. And a South American burglary crew hit a Newhall residence with the same question left unanswered: is your neighborhood next?

The common thread? Known risk factors, ignored warnings, and victims left to defend themselves.

Key Takeaways

• Nikola Lulaj, ex-Hoboken cop, broke into a Bergenfield home on May 5, 2026
• He attacked a father and two children after seizing a baseball bat
• He faces 6 charges, including first-degree home invasion
• He previously served prison time for a $187K Sandy relief fraud
• The children’s long-term wellbeing is the most overlooked part of this story

Should prior felony convictions automatically trigger stricter monitoring after release, or is the system already set up to catch people like Lulaj? Tell us what you think in the comments. Real talk only.

If this kind of reporting matters to you, Build Like New covers home safety, local crime news, and what it actually takes to protect the people inside your home. Worth a visit if you want content that goes deeper than the headline.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only, based on publicly available police statements and verified media reports as of May 9, 2026. All charges are allegations. Nikola Lulaj is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.