JACKSON TOWNSHIP, N.J. – A 19-year-old Freehold man has pleaded guilty to attempted murder after prosecutors said he stabbed a woman in the abdomen at a Jackson Township apartment complex, leaving a 19-month-old infant lying nearby.
Jaden Thompson pleaded guilty Monday before Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer to attempted murder, endangering the welfare of a child and eluding, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Tuesday. The pleas resolve charges stemming from the Nov. 27, 2025 stabbing and Thompson’s capture following a police pursuit the next day.
Prosecutors will seek a 10-year New Jersey State Prison sentence when Thompson is sentenced Oct. 23. The state will also seek five-year sentences on the child endangerment and eluding charges, with all three sentences running concurrently.
Key Points
- Jaden Thompson, 19, of Freehold pleaded guilty to attempted murder, child endangerment and eluding.
- A woman was stabbed in the abdomen at the Paragon Apartments in Jackson Township, with an uninjured 19-month-old infant found nearby.
- Prosecutors will seek a 10-year prison term at Thompson’s Oct. 23 sentencing.
Woman Stabbed at Jackson Township Apartment Complex
Jackson Township police responded to the Paragon Apartments on Larsen Road on Nov. 27, 2025 after receiving a report that someone had been stabbed.
Officers found a woman suffering from a stab wound to her abdomen. Police also discovered a 19-month-old infant lying in the area where the stabbing occurred, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
The infant was not injured. The woman was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she received treatment and was ultimately released.
Investigators determined Thompson was responsible for stabbing the woman, prosecutors said. He fled the area in a black Hyundai Sonata, and authorities entered his name into the National Crime Information Center database.
Police Chase Ends With Crash and Arrest
Edison Township police located the Hyundai the following day and attempted to stop Thompson, according to prosecutors.
Thompson “recklessly sped away” from officers and ultimately crashed the vehicle, the prosecutor’s office said. He then attempted to escape on foot but was captured nearby.
Thompson was transported to the Ocean County Jail on Nov. 29, 2025 and has remained detained there since.
Billhimer credited Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Kaitlyn Burke with handling the case for the state. He also acknowledged the Jackson Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Edison Township Police Department, Carteret Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service for their work in the investigation.
Prosecutors Seek 10-Year Prison Sentence
The state will seek a 10-year prison sentence for attempted murder when Thompson appears for sentencing Oct. 23.
That sentence would be subject to New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, according to the prosecutor. The state will additionally seek five years for endangering the welfare of a child and five years for eluding.
Those sentences are expected to run concurrently rather than consecutively.
What did Jaden Thompson plead guilty to?
Thompson pleaded guilty to attempted murder, endangering the welfare of a child and eluding.
What happened at the Paragon Apartments in Jackson Township?
A woman was stabbed in the abdomen on Nov. 27, 2025. Police responding to the scene also found an uninjured 19-month-old infant lying in the area where the stabbing occurred.
How much prison time is Jaden Thompson facing?
Prosecutors will seek a 10-year state prison sentence for attempted murder, along with concurrent five-year terms on the child endangerment and eluding charges.
Sources: Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer press release, Sept. 1, 2026.
