JACKSON, NJ – The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced that on December 30, 2020, Roberto Alcazar-Sanchez, 27, of Jackson, was charged with Knowingly Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Accident Resulting in Death in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-5.1, as well as Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Suspended Driver’s License while being involved in a Motor Vehicle Accident Resulting in Death in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:40-22a, relative to a crash which occurred in Jackson Township during the evening hours of December 24, 2020.
On December 24, 2020, at approximately 6:00 p.m., Officers of the Jackson Township Police Department were summoned to the area of Cedar Swap Road and I-195 for a report of a motor vehicle crash with serious injuries. An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit and Jackson Township Police Department revealed that a 2010 Mercedes Benz, driven by Norman Shtab, 83, of Howell Township, was exiting I-195 at Exit 21. His wife, Phyllis Shtab, 81, also of Howell, was a passenger in the vehicle. As Mr. Shtab was attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Cedar Swap Road, his vehicle collided with a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado.
The driver of the Chevrolet Silverado subsequently fled the scene on foot. Further investigation revealed the driver of the Chevrolet Silverado to be Roberto Alcazar-Sanchez. The passenger in the Silverado, Jose Misael Pementel-Mendoza, 30, of Wrightstown, was transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune Township, where he was treated for his injuries and released.
Mr. and Mrs. Shtab were likewise transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center. Mr. Shtab was treated for his injuries and later released. On December 26, 2020, Mrs. Shtab succumbed to the injuries she sustained as a result of the crash, and was pronounced deceased at Jersey Shore Medical Center on that date.
“Alcazar-Sanchez has not yet been apprehended, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and his name has been placed in the National Crime Information Center database. Anyone with information concerning Alcazar-Sanchez’s whereabouts – or any information at all regarding this investigation – is urged to contact Detective Anthony Carrington of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027, or Officer Tristan Bennett of the Jackson Township Police Department at 732-928-1111,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated.
Additionally, during the course of this investigation, Alcazar-Sanchez’s girlfriend, Reyna Mendez, 27, of Jackson, was questioned by law enforcement in connection with this matter. It was determined that Mendez provided false information to Detectives during the course of her questioning; as a consequence, she has been charged with Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:29-3a(7). Mendez was charged on a summons and released pending a future court date.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, Jackson Township Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Jackson Township Police Department Special Emergency Response Team, Brick Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit for their collaborative assistance in connection with this investigation.
The press and public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law