Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on October 22, 2024, Tyshaun Drummond, 42, of Toms River, was found guilty of two counts of Murder in connection with the deaths of Nicholas Hardy, 36, of Toms River, and Sergio Chavez-Perez, 32, of Lakewood, following a nearly month-long jury trial before the Honorable Guy P. Ryan, P.J.Cr.P. The murders occurred in the early morning hours of December 19, 2021, in Lakewood Township. In rendering its verdict, the jury concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that Drummond purposely or knowingly caused the deaths of Mr. Hardy and Mr. Chavez-Perez. The jury also found Drummond guilty of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and Burglary. Drummond is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Ryan on December 13, 2024, at which time he faces life in prison.
On December 19, 2021, at approximately 7:20 a.m., Officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department were summoned to an apartment complex on River Avenue for a report of shots having been fired. Police Dispatch was able to supply the Officers with a description of the suspect who fired the shots. Responding Officers located an individual matching the description – later identified as Drummond – in front of the apartment complex. Officers ordered Drummond to lay on the ground; when Drummond refused to comply, he was subdued by way of a department-issued Conducted Energy Device (CED).
Upon entering the apartment building, Officers discovered the deceased bodies of Nicholas Hardy and Sergio Chavez-Perez; both men were observed to have been shot in the head. An ensuing investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, identified Drummond as the individual responsible for the victims’ deaths. Drummond has been lodged in the Ocean County Jail since his release from a local hospital on December 21, 2021.
“It has taken nearly three years, but justice has finally been served in this case,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated. “Soon, Tyshaun Drummond will be held to account for the brutal murders of Mr. Hardy and Mr. Chavez-Perez, as he faces the prospect of spending the rest of his natural born days in prison. We hope this jury verdict affords the loved ones of these victims some semblance of closure,” Prosecutor Billhimer concluded.
Prosecutor Billhimer applauds the outstanding efforts of Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Mara Brater and Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Robert Cassidy, who ably and skillfully tried the case on behalf of the State. The Prosecutor likewise extends his gratitude to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their combined and collective efforts, ultimately resulting in today’s guilty verdicts.