Trio Charged In Beating Death Of Man Found Christmas Eve: Prosecutor

LAKEWOOD, NJ -- Three Sussex County people have been charged in connection with the beating death of an Ocean County man found dead Christmas Eve in his home, authorities Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato and Lakewood Township Police Chief Robert Lawson announced Tuesday.

Jesus Roman, 24, and Carlos Lagunes, 23, have been charged with murder while Evelyn Rodriguez, 46, Roman’s mother, has been charged with a count of hindering apprehension, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato and Lakewood Township Police Chief Robert Lawson announced.

Miguel Rivera, 45, of Lakewood, was found dead on Christmas Eve by Lakewood police officers who were performing a well-being check after his family said they hadn’t heard from him in several days. Rivera was found face down in the hallway of his home with head trauma, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

Della Fave said the joint investigation by the Major Crimes Unit of the prosecutor’s office and Lakewood Township Police developed information implicating Roman and Lagunes in the murder. Rivera was known to Roman and Rodriguez, he said.

Lagunes was located and arrested at 4:10 p.m. Monday at a Sussex pizzeria by Troopers from the New Jersey State Police, Sussex Barracks, Della Fave said. A short time later, Roman was arrested at his Sussex home by Detective John Murphy from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Lakewood Patrolman Chase Messer.

Rodriguez was arrested Dec. 29 at the New Jersey State Police Barracks in Sussex (Augusta), NJ and charged with one count of hindering, Della Fave said.

Roman and Lagunes are each charged with one count of murder, one count of burglary and one count of hindering. Superior Court Judge Wendel Daniels set bail for both Roman and Lagunes at $1,000,000 cash only, he said.

Rodriguez’s bail was set at $250,000, with a 10 percent option, he said.

All three are being held at the Ocean County Jail, Toms River.

The lead investigators in the case were Major Crimes Unit Detective Ray Gardner and Lakewood Patrolman Mike Mooney. The Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI processed the crime scene and provided evidence collection/preservation throughout the murder investigation, he said.