Fugitive In Fatal Shooting Of Brick Man Arrested In Virginia

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A man accused of shooting three people at a hookah lounge in Toms River, killing a Brick Township man, has been arrested in Virginia, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday.

Eric Manzanares, 23, of Asbury Park, who was being sought in connection with the killing of Nymere Tinsley, 25, on Aug. 27, 2022, was arrested April 7 in Prince William County, Virginia, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Manzanares is being held at the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center in Manassas, Virginia, pending extradition to New Jersey.

Billhimer did not say what led up to Manzanares being arrested in Virginia.

A warrant for Manzanares's arrest was issued following the investigation into the shooting at Top Tier Hookah Lounge, 1769 Hooper Ave., that happened about 1:20 a.m. on Aug. 27, authorities said.

Tinsley was shot in the lower abdomen and died at the scene, authorities said, while Anthony Miller, 29, of Neptune Township, and Jamal Bland, 24, of Asbury Park, were taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. Miller was shot in the stomach and was treated for his injuries and released. Bland suffered a gunshot wound to his elbow, and was likewise treated and released.

Investigators determined Manzanares was responsible for the shooting, and he was charged later that day with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon, Billhimer said. An arrest warrant was issued and his information was added to the National Crime Information Center database.

The fatal shooting led to Toms River officials shutting down the business, revoking its certificate of occupancy on Monday, and fining the business owner and property owner $4,500 over multiple zoning and code violations.

The township's quality of life task force had been investigating the lounge after multiple complaints about activities at the business, which had been located in the Anchorage Square shopping center briefly before moving to Silverton Shopping Center, where the shooting happened. Read more: Fatal Shooting Prompts Hookah Lounge Closure By Toms River Officials

Billhimer said the following agencies were involved in the investigation of the shooting and the arrest of Manzanares: the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime and High Tech Crime units; Toms River Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Asbury Park Police Department, United States Marshals Service, and Prince William County (Virginia) Police Department.