Dion Marsh, 27, was charged with three counts of attempted murder, carjacking, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and three counts of bias intimidation. According to police, “the bias charges are based on statements he made to detectives after his arrest.”
According to Lakewood Township Police, officers responded to a report of a carjacking around 1:15 PM, near Martin Luther King Drive and Pine Street. The officers were told that a black man had attacked the driver of a 2016 Toyota Camry and drove away with the car.
Around 6 PM Friday, near the area of Central and Carlton avenues in Lakewood, an Orthodox Jewish pedestrian was hit by a dark vehicle, and the driver then got out of the car and stabbed his victim. The victim was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he is listed in stable condition.
Then, around 8:20 PM, Jackson police received a report of a vehicle running over another pedestrian near Galassi Court, by the same car that hit the man in Lakewood after being carjacked. This victim, too, was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he is listed in critical but stable condition.
The Anti-Defamation League released a statement saying it is “saddened and outraged by a series of attacks that occurred in Lakewood and Jackson, NJ on Friday, April 8, which culminated in the stabbing of an Orthodox Jewish man and appreciates law enforcement’s quick apprehension of the suspect. After a series of attempted carjackings, the suspect is alleged to have carjacked a vehicle and hit one person with the car. He then hit another person and got out of the car to stab the victim, who was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition. The suspect was arrested last night and is said to have made antisemitic remarks upon arrest. This incident is being investigated by the Lakewood PD, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, and the FBI.
“We are grateful to federal and local law enforcement for their swift response in apprehending the suspect and bringing charges that include bias intimidation,” said Scott Richman, ADL NY/NJ Regional Director. “I am personally horrified at the cruelty with which the suspect allegedly conducted himself. More needs to be done proactively to prevent violence against the Jewish community and in particular visibly identifiable Jews in Ocean County and across our region. We recommit ourselves and our organization to working with government, educational institutions, interfaith and intergroup partners, and law enforcement in order to achieve this goal. Jews should not be afraid to freely go about their business without living in fear that they will be targeted for violence. The past few years have seen far too many assaults against Jews.”
