Somerset County Prosecutor, John P. McDonald, alongside Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Officer in Charge Lieutenant Craig Jeremiah of Manville Borough, have announced the conviction of Samuel C. Coggins, a 31-year-old resident of Flemington, New Jersey. On October 3, 2023, Coggins was found guilty of first-degree murder of Augustine Garcia, 50, from Manville, New Jersey.
The fatal incident unfolded on the afternoon of July 14, 2022, when Manville Police received a distress call at 2:56 p.m., reporting an assault outside a North 12th Avenue residence in Manville.
The officers, informed by the Somerset County Communications Center of an unconscious male at the scene, discovered an unresponsive Garcia upon arrival, who had sustained a severe head injury. Despite immediate life-saving attempts by the officers and emergency medical personnel, Garcia was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
According to Prosecutor McDonald, the distress call was made by Coggins, who remained at the scene following the assault. The preliminary inquiry led to Coggins’ transportation to the Manville Police Department. Detectives from both Manville Police and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes and Crime Scene Investigations Units were summoned to conduct a thorough investigation.
The investigation unveiled that Coggins had arrived at the residence to aid Garcia and another individual in relocating. However, a subsequent altercation in the driveway led to Coggins assaulting Garcia, causing fatal injuries.