Teen Held On Attempted Murder In Manchester Shooting: Police

MANCHESTER, NJ — An 18-year-old from Toms River has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after police say he shot at a vehicle in Pine Lake Park on Saturday, police said Monday.

Lakovian Shepherd Jr., 18, of Toms River, was being held at the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, following his arrest Sunday, Manchester Capt. Todd Malland said.

Malland said police were called Saturday afternoon at 2:40 p.m. about a suspicious black sport utility vehicle in the area of the Sixth Avenue Park in Pine Lake Park. At the same time, a 24-year-old South Toms River man walked into police headquarters and reported a black male driving a black SUV had shot out the passenger window of his vehicle.

The man told police he was sitting in his vehicle at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Hannibal Street with two friends at the time; no one in his vehicle was hit by the bullet, but the South Toms River man had injuries from the shattered glass, Malland said.

Police who responded to the suspicious vehicle call found the SUV was gone, but alerted to the shooting went to the recreation center and found shattered glass and one spent .380 shell casing in the vicinity of Fifth Avenue and Hannibal Street, Malland said.

Malland said detectives from the Manchester Township Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) Unit investigated the scene and conducted and extensive canvass of the neighborhood, and from witness statements and security camera footage obtained from the recreational area, they were able to identify Shepherd as the suspect and the vehicle as a black Nissan SUV.

Detective Craig Beaulieu charged Shepherd with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of unlawful possession of a weapon and one count of possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, Malland said.

Investigators then worked through the night and into Sunday before finding Shepherd at a convenience store on Washington Street in Toms River, he said. Toms River police assisted and Shepherd was arrested without incident, Malland said. His black, Nissan Rogue was subsequently located in Island Heights and impounded as part of the investigation, he said.

He is being held at the jail pending a detention hearing, Malland said.

Lakovian Shepherd Jr. photo via Ocean County Corrections website