Missing Lakewood Teen Murdered: Prosecutor

LAKEWOOD, NJ — The body found in Shenandoah Park last week has been confirmed as missing Lakewood teenager Eliabit Mena, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday.

Mena, 18, was reported missing Jan. 29 after his mother reported him missing after finding his car unoccupied at the park, Lakewood police said. His mother told police Mena was supposed to meet friends at Shenandoah Park that day.

His body was found Feb. 1 about 2:15 p.m. by a woman who was walking her dog in Shenandoah Park. The woman called Lakewood police and reported a male lying on the ground and unresponsive, police and the prosecutor's office said.

Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office, said Mena was positively identified as the victim through an autopsy by the Ocean County medical examiner, who classified the death a homicide.

The prosecutor's office did not release details on how Mena was killed.

Della Fave said that when Lakewood police responded and found the body, the Lakewood Detective Bureau, the Major Crimes Unit of the prosecutor's office and the Ocean County Sheriff's Department Crime Scene Investigation team responded and processed the scene.

The prosecutor's office and Lakewood police are continuing to investigate, with assistance from the Ocean County Sherriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigation unit.

The lead detectives in the case are Detective John Murphy from the prosecutor's office and Lakewood Detective Lynn Miller.

Anyone withinformation is encouraged to contact the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027, or the Lakewood Police Department at 732-363-0200.

Photo of Eliabit Mena provided by Lakewood Township Police