The victims of the Wednesday night shooting in Asbury Park were identified by Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni via a written statement Friday.
Yovanni Banos-Merino, 10, died from a gunshot wound he sustained Wednesday evening at his Ridge Avenue home, officials said. His mother, Lilia Merino, 38, also sustained injuries but was treated and released from Jersey Shore University Medical center in Neptune Township.
A Neptune Township teen was arrested without incident and charged Thursday morning for his role in the shooting death of the child and wounding his mother, officials said. The Prosecutor’s Office alerted both the school and the district to the impending arrest, officials said. Due to school protocols, Neptune High School was briefly in a lockdown status following the arrest.
Asbury Park police responded to a 911 call near 10:40 p.m. on Wednesday of shots fired at a home in the 400 block of Ridge Avenue. Police arrived to find Yovanni and his mother struck by gunfire. Merino was treated and released for her injuries, however the Yovanni was pronounced dead at 11:18 p.m, officials said.
A joint investigation is being conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Asbury Park Police Department with assistance from Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and Neptune Township Police Department.
At this point in the investigation, it appears that neither the 10-year old child nor his mother were the intended victims of this shooting, officials said Thursday. The intended target was another occupant also present within the home.
Investigators are seeking the assistance of the public to identify other(s) who may have been involved in this criminal conspiracy. Anyone with information should call Det Brian Weisbrot of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443 or Det Sean DeShader of the Asbury Park Police Department at 732-774-1300.
Anyone wanting to remain anonymous can contact Monmouth County Crime Stoppers confidential tip-line at 1-800-671-4400; text “MONMOUTH” plus the tip to 274637; or, email via monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com. Monmouth County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of criminals and fugitives.
The case has been assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Bogner.
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