By: Richard L. Smith
A Somerset County jury has convicted Junior Suriel-Gonzalez, 38, of Manville, on multiple charges stemming from a Super Bowl Sunday altercation earlier this year.
Following a week-long trial, Suriel-Gonzalez was found guilty of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and disorderly person's simple assault. The verdict was delivered on November 18, 2024.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Ryan A. Quiñones, with support from Litigation Paralegal Tiffany Gordon.
The incident occurred on February 11, 2024, at a local bar in Manville. According to testimony, Suriel-Gonzalez was asked to leave the establishment but responded by arming himself with a beer bottle and attacking an employee.
Witnesses described him swinging the bottle over the employee's head before being subdued and removed from the premises.
Suriel-Gonzalez fled the scene in his vehicle but was apprehended by Manville police officers several blocks away in the early hours of February 12, 2024.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 10, 2025. Suriel-Gonzalez faces up to five years in New Jersey State Prison.