A Jackson Township man has been sentenced to three years in New Jersey State Prison in connection with a 2024 burglary, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday.
According to Prosecutor Brad Billhimer, Manuel Fernandez, 40, was sentenced on August 8 by Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer to three years for burglary and 18 months for contempt of a judicial or protective order. The sentences will run concurrently.
The burglary sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, requiring Fernandez to serve at least 85 percent of his term before becoming eligible for parole.
Fernandez had pleaded guilty to both charges on June 18.
The charges stem from an incident on May 31, 2024, when Jackson Township police responded to a home on Buttonwood Drive at approximately 1:40 a.m. for a report of an unlawful entry. Officers found Fernandez inside the residence, which was occupied by his wife, who had an active Temporary Restraining Order against him.
Investigators determined that Fernandez entered the home without permission, forced open the bedroom door, and assaulted the victim. The woman was able to fend him off and call police. Fernandez was arrested at the scene without incident and has been in custody at the Ocean County Jail since his arrest.