Howell Brothers Charged With Shooting At Man Who Yelled At Woman, Police Say

HOWELL NJ -- (Updated, noon Tuesday) A pair of brothers have been charged with shooting at a man who was yelling at a woman the parking lot of Countryside Apartments Monday evening, Howell Police Chief Andrew Kudrick said Tuesday.

Lloyd Gomes, 29, and Ramano Gomes, 28, who live together on North American Drive, Howell, are both charged with possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes and are being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institute, Freehold Township, in lieu of $75,000 bail, no 10 percent option, each, Kudrick said.

The man they are accused of shooting at has been charged with domestic violence-related harassment in the incident that happened about 8:15 p.m., Kudrick said. The man is not being identified to protect the privacy of the woman he's accused of harassing, Sgt. Christian Antunez said.

Police were called to North American Drive in the complex off West Farms Road after residents reported hearing a tractor trailer had hit apartment buildings, Kudrick said, followed by gunshots, possibly aimed at the tractor trailer.

Police officers who responded soon determined the truck was a box truck, not a tractor trailer, and that the box truck had hit cars in the parking lot, he said.

The investigation determined there had been an dispute where a man was outside yelling at a woman who lived in one of the apartments, Kudrick said. The disruption from the man's screaming led two neighbors, now identified as the Gomes brothers, to confront the man, he said. The Gomeses did not know the man and they are not related, Kudrick said. The confrontation led to the man getting into a large box truck and in his attempt to get away, hit cars in the parking lot. One of the cars hit was registered to Lloyd Gomes, Antunez said.

The Gomeses then fired several shots from handguns at man through the truck. The man was not hit and fled the scene, Kudrick said.

There were no reported injuries, he said.

The box truck was ultimately found near Freehold Raceway Mall by Freehold Township police and the driver was arrested and charged with domestic violence harassment offenses related to the dispute with the woman, Kudrick said.

The Gomeses, witnesses and the man were then brought in for questioning regarding the shooting, which remains under investigation, he said.

Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact Detective Corporal Nancy Carroll at 732-938-4575 Ext. 2884 or at ncarroll@howellpolice.org.