By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Morris County announced that Auraceli A. Maldonado, 25, of Irvington, has been sentenced for shooting a man at the Roxbury Motel on October 18, 2023, during an armed robbery.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll stated that co-defendant Jean Omar Rockson, 34, of Orange, previously entered a guilty plea in connection with the incident and is awaiting sentencing.
According to MCPO officials, on January 21, 2025, Maldonado pled guilty to one count of first-degree Robbery and one count of second-degree Aggravated Assault.
On February 21, 2025, the Honorable Ralph E. Amirata, J.S.C. imposed an aggregate sentence of twelve (12) years in New Jersey State Prison, subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA) and Graves Act, Morris County authorities said.
Roxbury Police said that at approximately 8:54 p.m. on October 18, 2023, authorities were notified that a man had been shot at the Roxbury Motel on Route 46.
Roxbury Police officers arrived on scene, located a male victim with a gunshot wound to the leg, and provided lifesaving medical aid, MCPO officials stated. The 36-year-old victim was transported to a medical center with severe but not life-threatening injuries. Subsequent investigation revealed the victim had planned to meet with an unknown suspect at the motel.
According to Morris County officials, on the date of the incident, surveillance video captured a Honda Accord with a New York registration arriving at the motel parking lot, and a man and a woman are seen exiting the vehicle.
Two individuals – later identified as Auraceli A. Maldonado and Jean Omar Rockson – met with the victim inside a hotel room and robbed him. Maldonado was armed with an assault-style rifle during the interaction and shot the victim in the leg during a struggle for the firearm, MCPO authorities say. She and Rockson fled the scene after the shooting.
Maldonado was subsequently located and detained in Middleburg, Florida, on November 2, 2023. Co-defendant Rockson was later arrested on February 15, 2024, outside of his residence in Orange, according to Morris County officials. Rockson previously entered a guilty plea to first-degree Robbery on October 8, 2024, before the Honorable Ralph E. Amirata, J.S.C.
A sentencing date is pending. Rockson is currently on home detention subject to Pretrial Monitoring Level 3+ and is to have no contact with the victim, MCPO authorities stated.