Point Pleasant man pleads guilty to attempted murder in 2022 assault
POINT PLEASANT BOROUGH, NJ – A 31-year-old Point Pleasant Borough man has pleaded guilty to attempted murder for a violent 2022 assault that left a woman unconscious with severe injuries to her head and neck.
On August 22, 2022, police responded to a home on Butler Avenue where they found the victim unresponsive. She was taken to Hackensack Meridian Ocean Medical Center and later transferred to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for treatment before being released.
Investigators determined that Juan Santiago-Rojas assaulted and strangled the victim until she lost consciousness. He was initially charged with aggravated assault and became a fugitive before being captured in Wilmington, North Carolina, in December 2023. Santiago-Rojas was extradited back to New Jersey the following month and later formally charged with attempted murder.
On August 18, 2025, Santiago-Rojas entered his guilty plea before Judge Dina M. Vicari. At his October 3 sentencing, prosecutors will seek a 10-year prison term under the No Early Release Act.
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Key Points
- Juan Santiago-Rojas, 31, pleaded guilty to attempted murder for a 2022 assault in Point Pleasant Borough
- Victim was found unconscious with serious head and neck injuries but survived
- Prosecutors will seek a 10-year state prison sentence at the October 3 hearing
