Lakewood Man Arrested, Charged In Stabbing Death

The caller who made the 911 during the early morning hours of June 14 spoke Russian. 

But the message was clear. A man had been stabbed in a Lakewood apartment complex.

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato and Lakewood Police Chief Robert Lawson charged Dimitrii Dorzhinov, 53, with the murder of Gela Suqiashvilli, 54, also of Lakewood.

Lakewood police were notified by Howell police that the stabbing took place at 149 East Kennedy Boulevard, Building 4, Apartment 7. Police went to the address, knocked on the door and got no answer, Coronato said. 

Lakewood officers proceeded to check the apartment complex area and located Dmitrii Dorzhinov several doors down from apartment 149.  Dorzhinov spoke Russian to the officers who located him.  The Officers utilized language line to communicate with him and discovered that Dorzhinov was involved in an altercation with the occupant in Apartment 149.

Lakewood police immediately went back to the apartment and forced entry. They found Gela Suqiashvilli  sitting in a chair with multiple puncture and slash wounds to his upper torso and face.  MONOC Medic Unit 207 was immediately summoned to provide medical aid, but Suqiashvilli was pronounced dead 1:48 am.  Ocean County Prosecutor’s Major Crime Unit and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI were notified and responded to assist in the investigation.

As the crime scene was being processed, Dorzhinov was taken to the Lakewood Police Headquarters where OCPO Major Crimes Detective John Murphy and Lakewood Police Detective Oscar Valmon continued the investigation.  Lakewood Police Officer Tymur Zavalnyuk, who speaks Russian, was able to communicate with Dorzhinov and provided translation assistance.

The investigation determined that Dorzhinov and the victim began to wrestle, which escalated and resulted in the stabbing.  Dorzhinov made the 911 call reporting the stabbing after leaving the residence. 

Executive Assistant Prosecutor Michael Paulhus reviewed the case investigation and approved the charges of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Ocean County Superior Court Judge Rochelle Gizinski set Dorzhinov's bail at $1 million cash. He was arrested at 9:30 a.m. the taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River.