Police ID boy shot, killed in Asbury Park; teen charged

<p>A 16-year-old Neptune Township boy has been charged in connection with the deadly shooting of a 10-year-old boy from Asbury Park.</p>

News 12 Staff

Feb 22, 2018, 10:16 AM

Updated 2,248 days ago

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A 16-year-old Neptune Township boy has been charged in connection with the deadly shooting of a 10-year-old boy from Asbury Park.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office did not release the teen’s name due to his age. A spokesperson for the department said the teen is not the shooter, but he was an accomplice in the crime. The spokesperson said authorities are still looking for other suspects.
The teen was arrested at Neptune High School Thursday morning. Officials said the school was temporarily under lockdown while the arrest was made, as per protocol.
The shooting happened around 11 p.m. Wednesday in the 400 block of Ridge Avenue. A neighbor told News 12 New Jersey that he heard six gunshots.
Authorities identified the boy Thursday as 10-year-old Yovanni Banos-Merino.
Lilia Merino, the boy’s 39-year-old mother, was also injured in the shooting. She was treated for her injuries and released from the hospital, authorities said.
Officials said the boy and his mother were not the intended targets of the shooting. They said an adult man inside the home was the intended target.
The Neptune Township teen was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated assault.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Detective Brian Weisbrot of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443 or Detective Sean DeShader of the Asbury Park Police Department at 732-774-1300.


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