A Jackson man has been arrested and charged with murder following a violent altercation that left one man dead and another injured at a Toms River residence early Friday morning, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Brad Billhimer.
Steven McNeill, 32, is facing multiple charges including Murder, Attempted Murder, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon, and Eluding, all stemming from a series of incidents that unfolded on Friday.
At approximately 7:20 a.m., Toms River police officers responded to a 911 call reporting a disturbance at a home on Adams Avenue. The call was placed by an off-duty Class II Seaside Park police officer who had just left a nearby convenience store. When officers arrived on scene, they found 34-year-old Raniek Mendez of Brick Township with a stab wound to the chest. Mendez was transported to Community Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
A second stabbing victim, identified as Roderick Seward, 30, of Toms River, had already been taken by a family member to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Township for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators later discovered that earlier that same morning, at around 5:50 a.m., police had already responded to the Adams Avenue residence for a reported altercation between McNeill and Seward. At that time, McNeill had fled the scene, and officers cleared the residence.
Further investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Toms River Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit led to the identification of a vehicle connected to the stabbing. The vehicle, spotted in Jackson Township, initially fled from police but eventually came to a stop. McNeill was taken into custody without further incident.
Evidence gathered during the investigation identified McNeill as the individual responsible for both the fatal stabbing of Mendez and the stabbing of Seward. He is currently being held in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
While executing a court-authorized search warrant at the residence, detectives discovered a backpack belonging to Seward containing an undisclosed amount of cocaine. Seward has since been charged with Possession of Less than One Half Ounce of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Possession of Cocaine. He was issued a summons and is scheduled to appear in Ocean County Superior Court.