Judge says pair charged in attempt to kill Evesham officers will stay in jail. Here's why
MOUNT HOLLY – A judge has ordered a man accused of trying to kill two Evesham police officers to remain in jail, saying the release of Marc Ferraiolo would pose “an extreme risk of danger.”
Superior Court Judge Terrence Cook also denied release to Ferraiolo’s wife, Ruth Patton, who also was charged after a chaotic incident outside the couple’s home on April 30.
“You will remain in custody until your underlying criminal case is fully concluded,” Cook told Ferraiolo, 23, who stood motionless throughout the virtual hearing.
Patton, 42, who is being held in Atlantic County Jail, frequently shook her head and frowned during her session.
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Neither suspect addressed the judge.
The ruling came three days after neighbors at a community meeting expressed fear over the suspects’ possible return to the Heritage Village area.
Evesham incident disrupts Heritage Village neighborhood
The couple were arrested around 2 a.m. on April 30, after Ferraiolo allegedly sped past police officers at an unrelated traffic accident and fled an attempted traffic stop.
He then repeatedly rammed police vehicles and drove across lawns outside his Marlborough Avenue home, forcing two officers to jump out of the way of his vehicle.
Ferraiolo, who was arrested after a collision disabled his car, is charged with two counts each of attempted murder of a police officer and attempted aggravated assault of a police officer.
In all, he faces 14 accusations, Cook noted.
Patton is charged with making terroristic threats and obstruction of justice after allegedly interfering with her husband’s arrest.
Prosecutor: Ferraiolo sought suicide by cop
In arguing for continued detention, Assistant Prosecutor Cori D. Green said Ferraiolo told his wife "that he wanted to crash his expletive car into the cops and that he wanted to kill at least two cops that night."She also noted Ferraiolo in September 2022 was reported as a missing and endangered person who wanted to commit suicide by cop.
Green noted Ferraiolo was previously charged with simple assault in August 2017, with simple assault and harassment in March 2023, and with resisting arrest and eluding in December 2022.
Defense attorneys argued the couple should be confined with restrictions at the home they share with Ferraiolo's mother and grandmother.
Phil Jon, Ferraiolo’s public defender, described his client as a high school dropout who’s unemployed due to mental illness and who’s been medicated under a psychiatrist’s care for three years.
“He has no other place to go,” Jon said in arguing Ferraiolo would not flee prosecution.
Ruth Patton, expectant mother, to stay in jail
But Cook found Ferraiolo’s alleged actions showed “no respect for the law or for life."
“The weight of the evidence is strong,” he said.
Ryan Newmyer, representing Patton, said she's expecting a child and would receive better healthcare for a high-risk pregnancy outside of jail
Patton, also the mother of a child, formerly worked as a registered nurse, the public defender said.
But Green noted Patton was charged on April 24 with terroristic threats and disorderly conduct after allegedly yelling obscenities and vowing to kill a neighbor.
She was free on pretrial monitoring in connection with that case when the April 30 incident occurred, Green noted.
The charges against Ferraiolo and Green are only allegations. They have not been convicted in the case.
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Judge rules on release for Marc Ferraiolo and wife Ruth Patton
