LACEY – A Forked River man who strangled his wife and left her body on the side of the road was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Jeremy B. Cruz, 53, must serve a minimum of 85 percent of that sentence before the possibility of parole, as part of the No Early Release Act.
Police said a concerned driver found Dawn C. Cruz, 51, on Colonial Avenue near the intersection with Asbury Avenue just after 1 a.m. on October 30, 2022. Ocean Township Police pronounced her dead at the scene.
When this was going on, Jeremy Cruz turned himself in to Berkeley Township Police Headquarters. He said he strangled her after they got in an argument.
Cruz was indicted in January 2023. At trial, the State disproved the defendant’s intoxication defense, leading to the conviction.
