Woman Gets 5 Years in Prison for Striking Police During Pursuit

Police handcuffs and criminal fingerprints card

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ – On Friday, Kevin Valverde-Cruz, 21, was sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison for Aggravated Assault and Eluding.

The charges are related to an incident that occurred on October 18, 2022, in Lakewood Township.

Detectives from the Lakewood Township Police Department attempted to stop a speeding white Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by Valverde-Cruz.

The pursuit was terminated due to public safety concerns. Later, the same vehicle was located, and Valverde-Cruz failed to comply with commands, striking a police vehicle before fleeing.

Valverde-Cruz was arrested on January 10, following a court-authorized search of his residence. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Lakewood Township Police Department were involved in the investigation.

Charlie Dwyer
Charlie Dwyer is our New Jersey area news reporter. Dwyer reports on New Jersey news and events at the shore and beyond. Charlie covers New Jersey regional news. Charlie is a freelancer.

Related posts

New Jersey police chief sentenced to 7 years for sexual assault and abuse of power

No charges for NJ State Trooper in fatal crash with motorcyclist in Southampton

New Jersey housing chief charged with stealing $20K in public funds for home repairs