TOMS RIVER — Two Ocean County men have admitted their roles in a 2024 shooting in Toms River in which a bicyclist was fired upon but not struck, authorities said.
Anthony Zigarelli, 21, of Manchester, pleaded guilty June 1 to aggravated assault and possession of a weapon by a person prohibited from having one, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. Anthony Ventrice, 19, of Toms River, also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in connection with the same incident.
Both men are scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 14 before Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan. Prosecutors said they will seek a 10-year state prison term for Zigarelli on the aggravated assault charge, subject to the No Early Release Act, along with a concurrent five-year term on the weapons offense with five years of parole ineligibility. Prosecutors said they will seek a seven-year state prison term for Ventrice, also subject to the No Early Release Act.
Police were called about 4:05 p.m. May 14, 2024, to the area of Camino Medio and Camino Verde after several 911 callers reported gunfire. Investigators determined that a male victim was riding a bicycle through the area while Zigarelli and Ventrice were standing near a vehicle.
Authorities said Ventrice pulled out a handgun and fired several shots toward the bicyclist. The two then got into the vehicle and drove past the victim, at which point Zigarelli fired additional shots, prosecutors said. The victim was not hit and was not injured.
Ventrice, who was a juvenile at the time, was charged May 15, 2024, on a juvenile complaint with attempted murder and weapons offenses. He was arrested May 22, 2024, by Lakewood police and taken to the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center. His case was later waived to adult criminal court, and he was moved to the Ocean County Jail on May 30, 2025, where he has remained.
Zigarelli was charged May 28, 2024, with attempted murder and weapons offenses. He was arrested the following day by Toms River police and has been held in the Ocean County Jail since then.
Billhimer credited Assistant Prosecutor Emma Hurst, who is handling the case for the state, as well as the Toms River Township Police Department, Lakewood Township Police Department and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.
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