Long Branch man faces felony murder, 18 other charges, in fatal crash after home invasion
FREEHOLD A Long Branch man who authorities say was involved in a fatal crash involving a police vehicle while fleeing from an armed home invasion has been named in an indictment charging him with 19 crimes, including felony murder.
A Monmouth County grand jury returned the indictment against Altonia Williams, 46, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said.
The indictment alleges crimes committed in the early morning of Aug. 14, when police say Williams committed an armed home invasion and then crashed into a patrol car while trying to elude police.
Tracee Blount, 38, of Long Branch, a passenger in Williams' car, suffered fatal injuries when it crashed into a patrol car, authorities said.
Felony murder is a first-degree crime charged when a death occurs during the commission of other certain felonies.
In addition to felony murder, the indictment charges Williams with four counts aggravated assault by pointing a firearm at his victims and one count each of armed robbery, armed burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, possession of a prohibited weapon, eluding police, hindering apprehension, possession of a weapon by a convicted person, vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter while eluding police, aggravated assault while eluding police, knowingly leaving the scene of an accident involving death and causing death and assault by auto while driving with a suspended license.
The events leading to the indictment started to unfold shortly before 4 a.m. on Aug. 14, when a resident of a home on Narragansett Avenue in Long Branch called police after being awakened from sleep to discover a man armed with a gun in his living room, demanding money, authorities said.
Police who responded to the location witnessed a white BMW driving away from the scene, they said.
Long Branch police Corporal Bienvenido Cruz ordered the driver to stop, but the motorist fled the scene, authorities said.
Minutes later, Long Branch Officer Lucas Brito spotted the same vehicle speeding toward him just before it collided with his patrol vehicle at MacArthur and Elmwood avenues in Long Branch, authorities said.
More: Long Branch police car collides with vehicle on way to armed burglary, killing woman
Williams' passenger was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she died about three hours later.
Brito also was taken to Jersey Shore for treatment and was later released.
More: NJ Attorney General releases video of police-involved fatal crash in Long Branch
The driver of the BMW, later identified as Williams, fled from the crash but was later found hiding in a bush with a loaded handgun, authorities said.
A subsequent investigation by the Monmouth County Serious Collision Analysis Response Team, the prosecutor's Fatal Accident Investigation Unit and Long Branch police revealed Williams' driver's license was suspended and that Williams was high on marijuana at the time of the crash.
Williams is being held without bail at the Monmouth County Jail to await disposition of the case.
Emily Cartmell, assistant Monmouth County prosecutor, is handling the case.
The Asbury Park Press has reached out to the his attorney, Kevin G. Roe, and is awaiting a response.
The circumstances surrounding the fatality also is under investigation by the state attorney general's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, which by state law is charged with conducting probes any time a death occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in official capacity or if a person dies while in police custody. The office must by law present the circumstances to a grand jury to determine whether any charges should be lodged against the officers involved.
Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Home invasion, fatal crash lead to 19 charges against Long Branch man
