Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Jose Serrano-Robles, 43, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was charged with Attempted Murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1 and N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3; Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4a; Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b; and Being a Certain Person Not to Possess Weapons in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-7b(1), in connection with a shooting incident that occurred in the early morning hours of August 16, 2021, in Seaside Heights.
On August 16, 2021, at approximately 2:00 a.m., Seaside Heights Police Officers responded to a 911 call for reports of gunshots fired at the La Fontana Motel on Grant Avenue. Responding Officers found a 51-year-old male victim with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. The victim was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment of his injuries, and is reported to be in stable condition.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Seaside Heights Police Department Detective Bureau revealed that Serrano-Robles and the victim had been sharing a room at the La Fontana Motel. A search of the motel room yielded two handguns. The investigation further revealed that Serrano-Robles shot the victim and then fled the area. Detectives from the Seaside Heights Police Department located Serrano-Robles at the Toms River Bus Station, where he was taken into custody without incident. Serrano-Robles is currently lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Seaside Heights Police Department Detective Bureau and Patrol Division, Toms River Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Warrants Division, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation resulting in Serrano-Robles’ swift apprehension.
The charges referenced above are merely accusations and the press and public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
R.P.C. 3.6(b)(6).