Toms River Man Who Tased, Choked Woman At Wawa Arrested: PD

JACKSON, NJ — A Toms River man is in custody three weeks after he tased and choked a woman in the parking lot of a Jackson Wawa and then left her stranded in the woods.

Jesse James Shawger, 26, was arrested Tuesday, Jackson police said in a brief update on Facebook. They did not say where Shawger had been found but he was arrested by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, the post said.

Shawger is accused of assaulting a woman on Sept. 24 in the parking lot of a Wawa. Jackson Capt. Steven Laskiewicz said the woman told police she picked up Shawger at a Jackson home and drove to the Wawa. She alleges that as they sat talking, Shawger started using cocaine and shocked her with a taser multiple times. The woman told police he threatened her with the taser, warning her not to alert police to what was happening, and choked her, Laskiewicz said.

The woman crawled into the back seat of the vehicle to get out of reach but could not get out of the vehicle because the child safety locks were engaged, Laskiewicz said. Shawger then drove to Melissa Lee Drive, dropped the keys on the ground, threw the woman's cell phone into the woods and ran away, Laskiewicz said.

Police were called after the woman came out of the woods screaming for help.

Shawger has been charged with robbery, criminal restraint with risk of serious bodily injury, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to Ocean County Corrections Department records online. He is being held in the Ocean County Jail.

"We would like to thank everyone who provided information to assist in this investigation.," Jackson police said.

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