Ocean County Man Indicted On Murder Charge In Fatal Confrontation

An Ocean County man has been indicted on a murder charge in July incident where an argument turned into a fight that left another man dead.

Filiberto Jimenez-Villanueva, 30, of Ocean Avenue, Lakewood, was indicted on a charge of murder in the death of Adan Anaya-Morales, 57, of Lakewood, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

The indictment charges Villanueva got into an altercation with Morales on July 12 in a parking lot on Monmouth Avenue, and what began as an argument escalated to Villanueva punching Morales and knocking him to the ground, Della Fave said.

Villanueva then fled, he said. A concerned citizen found Morales unconscious in the parking lot, and he was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, where he succumbed to his injuries the next day at 10:42 a.m., Della Fave said.

An autopsy conducted by Dr. Ragasa determined Morales died as a result of massive head injuries and ruled it a homicide, he said.

The investigation, which culminated in Villanueva’s arrest on July 16 while he was waiting for a ride to work, involved members of the Lakewood Police Department, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s CSI. The lead detectives were Detective Raymond Gardner of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Detective Chase Messner of the Lakewood Police Department, and Detective John Anderson of the Ocean County Sheriff’s CIU Unit.

The case was presented and is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant Prosecutor Joseph F. Mackolin and Assistant Prosecutor Ashley Tito.

Villanueva remains in the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bail, no 10 percent option, set by Superior Court Judge James M. Blaney at the time of his arrest.

Murder carries a penalty of imprisonment for a minimum of 30 years and a maximum term of life.