Two men and a woman, all from Jackson, Ocean County, were indicted on Jan. 28 for their alleged roles in the October 2019 shooting death of a Manalapan man, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.
Zoey S. Monte, 20, of Jackson, was arrested after she turned herself in at the Manalapan Police Department on Jan. 28, according to a press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Monte was indicted on one count each of burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Tyler J. Martucci, 22, of Jackson, was indicted on one count each of burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
In October, Gerard A. Grimes Jr., 23, of Jackson, was arrested in connection with the shooting death of Narciso Rodriguez-Corona, 43, of Manalapan.
On Jan. 28, Grimes was indicted on one count of first degree murder, one count of first degree felony murder, two counts of possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, two counts of unlawful possession of a handgun, one count of burglary, one count of conspiracy to commit burglary, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of eluding police, one count of resisting arrest and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
According to Gramiccioni, on Oct. 5, 2019 at 9:34 p.m., Manalapan police officers responded to a call reporting a fight at a home on Fawn Run in a residential development off Union Hill Road. Several minutes later, police received a call reporting a confirmed shooting victim.
Manalapan police officers arrived on scene and discovered Rodriguez-Corona suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, where he was pronounced dead, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Gramiccioni said an investigation revealed Grimes, Monte and Martucci allegedly came to the Fawn Run residence armed with a handgun. Grimes attempted to enter the residence while Monte and Martucci remained outside.
Residents of the home were alerted to Grimes’ presence and attempted to stop him from entering the home, resulting in a brief confrontation outside the home.
Shortly thereafter a second encounter occurred nearby, during which Grimes allegedly shot Rodriguez-Corona. Grimes, Monte and Martucci all fled the area, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Police were dispatched to the area and encountered Rodriguez-Corona, who was suffering from life-threatening injuries. After receiving initial information regarding the incident, police officers began to search the area. A few hours later, police attempted a motor vehicle stop of Grimes’ vehicle, but he failed to stop.
Thereafter, Grimes fled the vehicle. Monte and Martucci were in the vehicle and were arrested at that time. A short time later, Grimes was arrested in the backyard of a neighborhood residence. Since his arrest, Grimes has been detained at the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, pending trial, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Detention hearings for Monte and Martucci were scheduled for Feb. 3 before state Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon, sitting in Freehold.
