FREEHOLD – Two men were arrested, one after a two-hour standoff, following a shots fired incident on Monday in Tinton Falls, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
On the afternoon of Oct. 14, a Tinton Falls police officer responded to the area of William Street after a single gunshot was fired. As the officer proceeded to investigate near Hance Park, he was approached by the victims of an attempted burglary at their Peach Street residence.
The victims told the officer that an attempted burglary turned into a shots-fired incident when they confronted the two burglars and one of them pulled out a handgun and fired one shot into the air. The two burglars then ran from the park.
Authorities quickly located and arrested 20-year old Alix Eugene of Eatontown. A second suspect, 18-year old Omari Key was believed to have fled to his apartment in Freehold Borough.
When the Freehold Borough Police Department responded to Key’s apartment, it was determined that Key was inside but refused to surrender. With some assistance from the Monmouth County Emergency Response Team (MOCERT), Key was eventually convinced to exit the residence after a two-hour standoff. He was apprehended without incident.
The gunshot prompted a brief “shelter in place” warning for Brookdale Community College in Middletown while the situation was handled, according to police.
[adrotate banner="278"]Key and Eugene are charged with second degree Conspiracy to Commit Armed Burglary, second degree Attempted Armed Burglary, second degree Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose, and second degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. Key was additionally charged with third degree Hindering by Suppressing and Concealing Evidence and fourth degree Aggravated Assault by Pointing a Firearm.
If convicted of the third degree offense, Key faces a sentence of three to five years in prison, and the fourth degree charge carried a potential prison sentence of up to 18 months.
Key and Eugene are scheduled for a detention hearing on October 18, 2019.
Anyone with information important to this investigation is urged to contact Detective Ramon Camacho of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443 or Detective Brian Cahill of the Tinton Falls Police Department at 732-542-4423.
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