Manchester man pleads guilty in antisemitic terror spree in Lakewood and Jackson
TOMS RIVER - A 29-year-old Manchester man is facing 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to terrorism Wednesday, after a violent crime spree that targeted members of the Orthodox Jewish communities in Lakewood and Jackson.
Dion Marsh entered the guilty plea before Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan, admitting to a series of acts that included a carjacking, stabbing and hit-and-runs against pedestrians. All of the crimes were committed on April 8, 2022.
Marsh said he specifically targeted all of his victims because he believed they were of the Orthodox Jewish faith.
Responding to questions posed to him by his attorney, William Smith of the Public Defender's Office, Marsh admitted to the following activities on that day:
At 1:02 p.m., he approached an occupied vehicle on Arlington Avenue in Lakewood and attempted to steal it, but was unsuccessful;
At 1:15 p.m. at Martin Luther King Drive and Pine Street in Lakewood, he approached a 2016 Toyota Camry on foot, forced the driver out of it and stole it;
At 5:15 p.m., while operating his grandmother's Honda Accord, he attempted to pull a child out of the front seat of another vehicle at New Egypt Road and Carlton Avenue in Lakewood. His purpose was to injure and terrorize the child, but he was not successful;
At 5:20 p.m. at Kimball Road and Central Avenue in Lakewood, he accelerated the Accord at a pedestrian with the intent to kill him, striking him, but the victim survived;
At 6:06 p.m. at Central and Carlton avenues in Lakewood, he struck another man with his grandmother's car in an attempt to kill him;
At 6:55 p.m., he accelerated the car at another pedestrian at Pine Circle Drive and New Egypt Road in Lakewood, striking the man and then stabbing him after he fell to the ground;
And, at 8:23 p.m., he drove over a curb and onto a grass lawn on Galassi Court in Jackson, purposely striking yet another pedestrian.
All of the victims survived. However, while he was being questioned by his attorney about the victim struck at 5:20 p.m. on Kimball Road and Central Avenue, Marsh remarked, "Oh, he died.''
Smith immediately corrected him.
"No, he didn't,'' Smith said.
Three victims suffered minor injuries. Two of them were treated at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune and released.
The victim in Jackson incident sustained serious injuries. He was hospitalized at Jersey Shore and later transferred to a rehabilitation facility.
Marsh said he concluded all the victims were Orthodox Jews based on the neighborhoods he was in and the clothing they wore.
"The evidence marshaled through the course of this investigation led us to the unmistakable conclusion that these brazen, violent acts were carried out with the purpose of terrorizing the Jewish community in Lakewood and Jackson townships,'' Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said, in announcing the guilty plea.
Police arrested Marsh without incident later the same night in his Manchester home. He was lying on a bed, clasping a machete to his chest, a police affidavit said.
Marsh later admitted the crimes to police, telling detectives in a taped statement, "It had to be done,'' the affidavit said.
Michael Weatherstone, chief trial attorney at the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, asked Marsh at the plea hearing if he told the detectives, "These are the real devils - Hasidic Jews.''
Marsh responded that he had, indeed, told them that.
Prior to his arrest, a relative of Marsh reported to police that he recently broke up with his girlfriend and said, "It's going to be a bloodbath.''
Marsh was initially charged with three counts of attempted murder, three counts of bias intimidation, carjacking, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office later added more charges, including terrorism, which carries a prison term of 30 years to life.
The prosecutor's plea bargain with Marsh calls for the minimum sentence, but Marsh will be required to serve the full 30 years without parole. His sentencing is tentatively scheduled for March 22.
"Let no one question our resolve when it comes to fighting hatred and bigotry,'' Billhimer said. "To those who would seek to terrorize innocent citizens in Ocean County, our message is simple and clear: we will pursue you, prosecute you and ultimately convict you. And, we will do everything we can to send you to prison for a very long time.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again, hate has no home in Ocean County,'' the prosecutor added.
Billhimer commended all the law enforcement agencies involved in the apprehension of Marsh, which he said "more than likely saved lives.''
Marsh also is facing federal hate crimes charges stemming from the spree of violence. He has an appearance in federal court in Trenton scheduled for Feb. 1.
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: Manchester man admits targeting Jewish community in terror spree
