An 18-year-old Jackson man has been arrested and charged in connection with a series of disturbing offenses that terrorized the Lakewood community over the past month.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Massinissa Ladj, 18, has been charged with multiple offenses following incidents involving young girls and women in Lakewood. The unsettling crimes, which occurred on January 21, January 23, February 5, and February 11, left residents on edge as authorities scrambled to track down the suspect.
The investigation began on January 24, when Lakewood Township Police received a chilling report from a 16-year-old girl. She recounted how, the previous evening, a masked man in a black vehicle had signaled her over as she walked along East 5th Avenue. As she approached, the man made lewd gestures before speeding away.
As authorities launched their probe, they uncovered a similar report from January 21—this time involving a 12-year-old girl. The child told police she had been walking on East 5th Avenue when a man wearing a black surgical mask beckoned her to his car. What she saw when she came closer is better not to publish.
The suspect’s disturbing pattern continued into February. On the 5th, a 14-year-old girl was walking in Lakewood when a man matching the previous descriptions called her over. As she stepped closer, the same horrifying scene played out—the man was again engaged in lewd behavior inside his vehicle before making a hasty getaway.
But perhaps the most brazen incident came on February 11, when a woman walking with her baby on North Lake Drive encountered the suspect. This time, he asked for directions before revealing his obscene act. Shocked and disgusted, the woman immediately contacted authorities.
By now, law enforcement was closing in. Through extensive investigative work, police identified Ladj as the perpetrator.
On Tuesday, detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, the High Tech Crime Squad, Lakewood Township Police, Jackson Township Police, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office launched a coordinated operation to take Ladj into custody. Armed with a court-authorized search warrant, officers conducted surveillance outside his Jackson Township residence.
As Ladj attempted to leave his home, Jackson Township Police conducted a high-risk motor vehicle stop on his car. Without incident, Ladj was taken into custody and transported to Ocean County Jail, where he remains awaiting a detention hearing.