The man who stabbed a relative multiple times within their Middletown home in July of 2023 has pleaded guilty to attempted murder in connection with the incident, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Tuesday.

During a hearing on Friday afternoon, Jan. 3, before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon, 38-year-old Timothy J. Sauers pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree attempted murder.

Under the terms of his plea, Sauers will have no further contact with the victim and cannot return to the scene where the crime took place.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, at which time the state intends to recommend a term of 15 years in state prison, with 85 percent required to be served before the possibility of parole, in accordance with New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA).

The case background …

On July 5, 2023, Middletown police were called to a residence on Hillside Street on a report of a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, the officers discovered a victim suffering from multiple stab wounds.

The victim was transported to a local hospital for her injuries along with another resident, who stepped in to stop the attack. An infant was present at the time of the stabbing but was unharmed.

An investigation by members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and the Middletown Township Police Department determined Sauers was responsible for the stabbings.

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

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