RED BANK, N.J. — A Red Bank man was arrested after allegedly attacking a resident with a metal object, pouring gasoline on him, and threatening him with a gun, police said.
Jose Hernandez-Ruano, 23, was taken into custody two days after the incident and charged with aggravated assault, according to Red Bank Police Chief Michael Frazee.
Police responded to Riverview Medical Center shortly after midnight on February 4 after being notified that an assault victim had arrived at the emergency room. The victim was bleeding heavily from his head, and his clothing was soaked in gasoline, Patrolman Andrew Todd learned at the hospital.
The victim told officers he had been in his backyard on Bank Street when an unknown man approached him. An argument ensued, during which the suspect struck the victim in the head with a metal object, knocking him to the ground. While the victim was down, the attacker poured gasoline on him from a nearby container and threatened him with a handgun before fleeing, police said.
Two days later, on February 6, the victim informed police that the suspect had been seen near 75 Bank Street. Patrolmen Taylor Doremus and James McGee found a man matching the suspect’s description at the location. Hernandez-Ruano allegedly provided officers with false identification, using another person’s name and birthdate, Frazee said.
In addition to aggravated assault, Hernandez-Ruano was charged with possession of a weapon for unlawful use, unlawful possession of a weapon, hindering apprehension, and providing false identification.
He appeared for a detention hearing on February 7 and was released with conditions, including monthly monitoring, no contact with the victim, and a restriction from returning to the scene, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
