FREEHOLD – The Keansburg man accused of the sexual assault and murder of 11-year old Abbiegail Smith in July 2017 has plead guilty to the crimes, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Andreas Erazo, 20, was Abbiegail’s upstairs neighbor. Erazo pleaded guilty to first degree Murder and first degree Aggravated Sexual Assault in connection with her death.
Abbiegail was found dead on July 13, 2017 a few hours after she was reported missing from her apartment on Hancock Street.
The state recommends life in prison for Erazo, subject to the “No Early Release Act” (NERA), which means he will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. Erazo’s life in prison sentence would be 75 years, requiring him to serve 63 of those years in prison before being eligible for parole. He will be subject to Parole Supervision for Life and Megan’s Law upon his release.
After reports of a missing 11-year old girl, Keansburg police responded to the residence at 16 Hancock Street at approximately 9:24 p.m. on July 12, 2017. A missing person’s investigation was coordinated with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office shortly thereafter.
Members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office’s Forensic and Technical Services Bureau discovered the body of Abbiegail Smith wrapped in a blanket on a rear roof of the apartment complex at approximately 10:20 a.m. the next day.
The autopsy determined that Abbiegail was sexually assaulted and fatally stabbed.
The investigation led to the arrest of Erazo on murder and weapons charges.
Erazo is scheduled to appear in court on May 31, 2019. He remains detained in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
