Suspect charged with the Sea Isle City assault of Fox 29′s Bob Kelly appears in court

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, N.J. — The 21-year-old accused of punching Fox 29′s Bob Kelly in the face at a Sea Isle City pub July 30 whistled on his way out of the courthouse Monday, accompanied by his mother, a retired Sea Isle police captain, and father, a local real estate agent.

Patrick Iannone was instructed to return to court for an arraignment on Oct. 2, at which time his lawyer, John Tumelty, said the case might be resolved.

Prosecutor Edward Shim told Judge Christine Smith that the assault case will now proceed to the grand jury on Tuesday in accordance with New Jersey criminal procedure.

Iannone, with a mop of curly black hair and his mother and father on either side of him, whistled to himself outside the courthouse and declined to make any comment. His mother, retired Sea Isle Police Capt. Rosemary Milano, and his father, Joseph Iannone, also had no comment.

Tumelty told the judge there were “a lot of mitigating factors” in the case, but he did not detail what they were. “We’re going to see if we can work the case out on Oct. 2,” Tumelty said outside the courthouse.

Kelly, a popular traffic anchor and Shore fixture, was busy tweeting Monday morning about the teens who escaped a Berks County detention facility, National Cheeseburger Day, and accidents on the Schuylkill and was not in court for the hearing, officially a pre-indictment conference.

Iannone was charged with aggravated assault in an attack during an event at Oar House Pub in Sea Isle City on July 30.

Police say he “knowingly and purposely caused significant bodily injury” to Kelly, who was at the bar emceeing a charity event.

Iannone admitted to officers he filmed himself pouring beer on Kelly during the event, according to a complaint summons obtained by The Inquirer.

When Kelly turned around, Iannone — whom police said appeared to be under the influence — punched the Fox 29 personality so hard he lost consciousness. Kelly suffered lacerations above and beneath his eye socket. Kelly received medical care but didn’t require stitches and was back on their air the following Tuesday.

Kelly spoke about the assault on Fox 29, calling it a “frightening, disturbing event” apparently incited by a TikTok challenge.

According to New Jersey municipal court records, Iannone pleaded guilty to simple assault in an incident at Dead Dog Saloon in Sea Isle City in June.