Wild video caught a terrifying fight at the TikTok-famous New Jersey motel that is a haven for the homeless — ending with a car being repeatedly driven into one of the brawlers.
The fight erupted early Wednesday as one of the men helped an evicted pal move out of the troubled Lincoln Tunnel Motel, according to NBC New York, which obtained surveillance footage.
He immediately started fighting with another man who arrived, with the footage showing the pair wrestling and throwing punches as several others watch.
At one point, the pair fall to the ground — but keep brawling outside the motel famed for helping the homeless.
Shockingly, one of the men gets into a Mercedes — and repeatedly drives it at the other, who appears to have been hit in the legs, but fled alive before cops could get there.
The same car then backed into a responding police vehicle. Eventually, the suspect gets out — with hands up and a bloodied face.
Cops say the unknown victim appeared to be hit at least four times by the car. WNBC
The suspect, identified as Ariam Ante, 42, eventually got out with a bloodied face. WNBCAriam Ante, 42, of West New York, was later charged with assault by auto, aggravated assault, and possession of a weapon — his vehicle — for an unlawful purpose, North Bergen Police told The Post.
He was also charged with burglary and theft for allegedly rifling through the victim’s car before fleeing, cops said.
Ante was formally charged and detained in Hudson County Jail on Thursday after first getting treated for his injuries from his fight.
The pair also fell to the ground during Wednesday’s brawl as others watched. WNBC“This is a serious incident,” North Bergen police Capt. David Dowd told NBC, saying that the video suggested the victim was struck by the car “at least three, potentially four, times.”
“The victim was extremely lucky to walk away with not life-threatening injuries,” he said.
However, the victim never came forward, so the severity of his injuries remains unknown, police said.
A motel door was also damaged when the car repeatedly rammed it. WNBCThe Lincoln Tunnel Motel has been dubbed the TikTok Motel because of the viral account of co-owner Brian Acosta Arya, 35, detailing his efforts to help get people off the streets.
For police, however, it remains notorious for the wrong reasons.
Motel co-owner Brian Acosta Arya said it will not deter his mission to help the homeless. WNBC“We respond routinely — about three times a day,” Dowd said, detailing how police responded there 2,705 times between January 2020 and March 2022 — more than any of the other 13 motels and hotels in the township.
Arya was working during Wednesday’s fight — and said that hours earlier, another irate customer used a brick to smash windows, including the motel owner’s own car.
“This is pretty scary but we’re trying to clean up this place,” Arya told NBC, saying it would not deter his mission to help those in need.
