Asbury Park man pleads guilty in Toms River shooting that left one dead and two injured
TOMS RIVER, N.J. – An Asbury Park man admitted in court this week to aggravated manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault tied to a 2022 shooting outside a Toms River hookah lounge that killed one man and wounded two others, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Eric Manzanares, 26, entered the guilty pleas on Thursday before Judge Guy P. Ryan in Ocean County Court. Prosecutors said the plea covers the fatal shooting of Nymere Tinsley and the wounding of Anthony Miller of Neptune Township and Jamal Bland of Asbury Park.
At sentencing, scheduled for April 24, the state will seek 23 years in New Jersey State Prison for the aggravated manslaughter charge and 10 years for each aggravated assault count. All sentences are expected to run concurrently and fall under the No Early Release Act.
The case stems from a shooting reported at about 1:20 a.m. on August 27, 2022, at the Top Tier Hookah Lounge on Hooper Avenue. Responding officers found three men suffering from gunshot wounds. Tinsley, who had been shot in the lower abdomen, was taken to Community Medical Center and pronounced dead a short time later. Miller and Bland were taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, treated for their injuries and released.
Investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, the Toms River Police Detective Bureau and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit identified Manzanares as the shooter. Charges including murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses were filed the same day, and a warrant was issued. His name was added to the National Crime Information Center database.
Manzanares was located months later in Prince William County, Virginia, where he was arrested on April 7, 2023. He was held at the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center until his extradition to Ocean County on January 24, 2024. He has been held in the Ocean County Jail since that time.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited multiple agencies for their work in the case, including the Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and High Tech Crime Unit, Toms River Police, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Asbury Park Police, the U.S. Marshals Service and Prince William County authorities.
Key Points
- Asbury Park man pleads guilty to aggravated manslaughter and two aggravated assault counts in 2022 Toms River shooting
- One victim was killed and two others were wounded outside Top Tier Hookah Lounge
- Sentencing set for April 24 with prosecutors seeking a 23-year term under the No Early Release Act
