TOMS RIVER, NJ – Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that 21-year-old Edwin Ramirez-Carranza of Lakewood has been sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison after pleading guilty to separate charges of eluding police and aggravated assault connected to two motor vehicle incidents in Lakehurst and Lakewood.
ICE records show that the agency has an active detainer for Ramirez-Carranza. He was charged with aggravated assault after authorities say he barreled through a red light at 106 mph, slamming into a vehicle driven by an off-duty police officer early Saturday morning.
Superior Court Judge David M. Fritch imposed the sentence on January 30, 2026. Ramirez-Carranza received five years for eluding in connection with an October 8, 2024 pursuit in Lakehurst, along with a six-month suspension of his driver’s license. He also received a concurrent five-year sentence for aggravated assault related to an April 19, 2025 crash in Lakewood Township. The aggravated assault term is subject to the No Early Release Act, requiring him to serve at least 85 percent of the sentence before parole eligibility.
The October 2024 incident began when Lakehurst police officers responded to a three-car crash on Route 70. As all three vehicles attempted to flee, officers pursued Ramirez-Carranza, who was driving a Chevrolet Silverado. He ignored commands to stop and led officers on a short chase before his vehicle became disabled. Officers observed signs of intoxication, and breath tests later showed a blood alcohol content above the legal limit for an underage driver. Ramirez-Carranza, then 20, was charged with driving under the influence and taken into custody.
The April 2025 crash occurred at the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and Cedar Bridge Avenue in Lakewood. Investigators determined that Ramirez-Carranza’s Silverado was traveling north at 106 miles per hour when it ran a red light and struck a Honda Civic driven by an off-duty Lakewood Township police officer. The officer sustained serious injuries but was later released from the hospital. Ramirez-Carranza was also injured and later charged with aggravated assault and multiple motor vehicle offenses.
At sentencing, Ramirez-Carranza also pleaded guilty to underage driving while intoxicated, resulting in an additional 30-day license suspension.
- Edwin Ramirez-Carranza, 21, sentenced to five years in prison for eluding police and aggravated assault.
- The April 2025 crash injured an off-duty Lakewood police officer after Ramirez-Carranza drove through a red light at 106 mph.
- The defendant must serve at least 85 percent of his prison term before becoming eligible for parole.
Ramirez-Carranza has been held in the Ocean County Jail since April 2025 following his release from Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
