3 Deaths Unsettle Usually Quiet Howell-Farmingdale Area

HOWELL, NJ — When the body of a man was found early Friday morning in the middle of quiet, tree-lined Hurley Pond Road in Howell, it raised eyebrows.

When a man was shot about 18 hours later, a mile and a half away on Walnut Street, not far from Farmingdale Elementary during what authorities have described as a violent incident that ended in a confrontation with police, it gave people pause.

"I’ve been here 15 years. Twice in two nights is unheard of," one woman wrote in a social media discussion about the incidents.

Murders are rare in Howell Township and in Farmingdale, which combined have just over 53,000 residents. According to FBI Uniform Crime Reports, there have been just four instances of murder or non-negligent manslaughter dating back to 2000 reported to the agency by Howell Township police. Because Farmingdale is covered by New Jersey State Police, it does not have its own entry in the crime reports.

The most recent homicide in Howell was the 2010 stabbing of Scott Gregory, 24, who was killed by a friend after the two got into a fight late on a June night along Fort Plains Road. That friend, Julius Garrett, 32, remains in state prison, serving a 15-year sentence for aggravated manslaughter, according to state Department of Corrections records.

Before that, in 2007, was the murder of Gina Sgambati, 51. She was shot in her car in the parking lot at Howell Commons, the New York Times reported. Her estranged husband, Sebastian Sgambati, 64, of Howell, ran to a nearby neighborhood where he shot and killed himself. Gina Sgambati, who had a restraining order against her husband, had just finished her shift at Dress Barn in Howell Commons, News 12 New Jersey reported.

The other two instances — in 2005 and 2001 — appear to be cases where aggravated manslaughter charges were filed in connection with motor vehicle crashes, from a search of newspaper archives.

The only other unsettling death in recent memory is the unsolved case from November 2014, where a baby's body was found at a Farmingdale recycling center. That death was not ruled a homicide, and authorities have continued to search for the mother of that baby girl, later named Ella Grace and buried at Ardena Baptist Church.

Having two incidents back-to-back in less than 24 hours was just as unsettling, residents posting in the Howell Happening NJ Facebook page said.

"What is in the air around here?" another woman wrote. "Creepy timing of things for sure."

Authorities were continuing to investigate the two incidents. Howell police on Monday closed Hurley Pond Road, where the body of Domingo Merino Rafael was found by a person who called 911 at 3:46 a.m. on Friday, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said Saturday. The death of Rafael, 33, of Lakewood, was ruled a homicide following an autopsy on Saturday.

A mile and a half away, on Walnut Street near Farmingdale Elementary School, New Jersey State Police and the state attorney general's office were continuing to investigate the events surrounding the death of Charles Tsakiris, who died from a gunshot wound about 10:45 p.m. Friday. Tsakiris, 38, refused to put down a "bladed object" despite orders from police to do so, and an unidentified Howell police officer shot Tsakiris to protect himself and others who were in danger, Howell Police Chief Andrew J. Kudrick Jr. said.

In addition to Charles Tsakiris, authorities found Teresa Oshel, 40, dead in the bathroom of the home, and a second man, Jeffrey Tsakiris, 36, was taken to the hospital; Howell police said he suffered critical injuries.

Despite the proximity of the crime scenes and the closeness of the time frame, authorities have said the two incidents are not related.

New Jersey State Police, which covers Farmingdale, is handling the crime scene and investigation, Kudrick said. The attorney general's Shooting Response Team is handling the officer-involved shooting, and the Professional Responsibilities Unit of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and Howell Police Internal Affairs also are involved, Kudrick said.

Residents praised Howell police on Facebook and offered condolences as well as gratitude for information.

"Thank you for the update to the community," one commenter said. "Helps somewhat in calming the unsettled nerves that naturally come with these kinds of situations. I'm sure more information will come when possible and appropriate. Prayers to all involved."

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