Prosecutor: 33-Year-Old Arrested, Charged with Carjacking, Auto Theft & More

The man who was shot by police in Holmdel yesterday, in an incident that caused Route 35 corridor traffic jams, has been arrested and charged with carjacking, car theft, a weapons charge and related offenses, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Thursday.

Justin F. Chacon, 33, with addresses in Old Bridge and Brooklyn, NY, has been charged with three counts of first-degree carjacking and single counts of third-degree motor vehicle theft, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree resisting arrest.

An investigation led by members of the MCPO Major Crimes Bureau and the Holmdel and Middletown police departments has determined the following:

Shortly after 5:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, members of the Holmdel Township Police Department responded to Bayshore Medical Center on a report of a commercial delivery vehicle being stolen out of the hospital parking lot by an adult male later identified as Chacon.

A short while later, Middletown police responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision that had taken place in the area of Route 35 and Navesink River Road. There they found that Chacon had crashed the stolen commercial delivery vehicle into the highway’s center median and then stole an SUV from a bystander who had pulled over and attempted to offer assistance.

Then, just before 6:15 a.m. the same morning, Holmdel police responded to the northbound lanes of Route 35, near the intersection with Centerville Road, on a report of a second collision. It was later determined that Chacon had collided with a garbage truck, causing the stolen SUV he was driving to leave the roadway, strike a telephone pole, and burst into flames.

After exiting the SUV, while brandishing a pair of wire-cutting pliers, Chacon then attempted to enter a pair of additional vehicles parked on the highway, but was rebuffed by the drivers of each.

The responding officers found Chacon walking in traffic and ordered him to drop the weapon, but he disregarded the order and began advancing in their direction. One of the officers then fired a round from his service weapon, striking Chacon.

Following a prolonged physical struggle with the officers, Chacon was taken into custody. He was transported to a local hospital, where he remains in stable condition.

The investigation into Chacon’s activities remains ongoing, and anyone with information about them is being asked to contact MCPO Detective Joshua Rios or Detective Ryan Mahony at 800-533-7443.

The circumstances behind the officer-involved shooting remain under investigation solely by the MCPO Professional Responsibility Unit, acting in accordance with New Jersey Office of the Attorney General Directive No. 2019-4, titled Ensuring the Independent Investigation of Criminal Cases Involving Police Use of Force or In-Custody Deaths.

Convictions on first-degree crimes are commonly punishable by terms of 10 to 20 years in state prison.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office