POINT PLEASANT – A 31-year-old man has been indicted by a Grand Jury for assaulting and strangling a victim to the point of unconsciousness, authorities said.
Juan Santiago-Rojas of Point Pleasant was indicted on charges of Attempted Murder, Strangulation, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, all in connection with an incident that occurred in the borough on August 22, 2022.
Officers found an unconscious woman with serious injuries to her head and neck area in a home in Butler Avenue. The victim was thereafter transported to Hackensack Meridian Ocean Medical Center in Brick Township, officials said. However, due to the nature and extent of her injuries, she was transferred to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she was treated and eventually released.
Authorities determined that the victim was assaulted by Santiago-Rojas, and he was initially charged with Aggravated Assault. Subsequently, a warrant was issued for his arrest and he was entered into the National Crime Information Center database as a fugitive.
On December 8, 2023, Santiago-Rojas was taken into custody by law enforcement authorities in Wilmington, North Carolina.
On January 12, 2024, Santiago-Rojas was extradited to New Jersey, and is currently lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
Further investigation indicated that Santiago-Rojas assaulted the victim and strangled her to the point of unconsciousness on August 22, 2022. As a consequence, Santiago-Rojas was additionally charged with Attempted Murder on January 22, 2024. Santiago-Rojas was served with the new charge by way of complaint-warrant at the Ocean County Jail.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Lynn Juan who presented the case to the Grand Jury on behalf of the State, and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Point Pleasant Borough Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service, Borough Of Belmar Police Department, Borough of South River Police Department, and City of Wilmington (North Carolina) Police Department, for their collective efforts in connection with this investigation.
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.
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