Keansburg Man, 19, Charged With Murder Of Keyport Man, 20

KEYPORT, NJ — Less than 24 hours after a young man was shot and killed in his Keyport apartment on Thursday, a 19-year-old Keansburg man who had fled to New York City turned himself in, and was charged with the murder.

John Curtin, 19, of Woodland Avenue in Keansburg, turned himself in to New York City police and is charged with first-degree murder and other charges in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Evan Smutz.

As Patch originally reported, the homicide took place last Thursday, Aug. 9 inside Smutz's apartment in Keyport, on Center Street at the Holmdel Pointe apartment complex.

Police say that Curtin went to Smutz’s apartment that day, and while inside an argument broke out that ended with Curtin fatally shooting Smutz. Someone called 911 to report hearing shots fired from 2 Center Street at 12:48 p.m. Thursday and police arrived to find Smutz with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at 1:21 p.m.

Curtin fled the apartment after the shooting. Hours later Curtin surrendered to the New York City Police Department and subsequently transported back to Monmouth County.

Curtin was also charged with first-degree robbery in the incident, but the Monmouth County Prosecutor's office did not say what he allegedly stole.

NJ.com reported that Smutz was a 2016 graduate of Keyport High School and also played in the Monmouth squad in the 2016 All-Shore Gridiron Classic, a summer all-star football game. He was also on the baseball team at Keyport High School.

The Holmdel Pointe apartment complex pictured, via Google Earth.