Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on September 17, 2020, Alonzo Legrande, 18, of Asbury Park, pled guilty to Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose.
Legrande’s guilty plea was contemplated in connection with his voluntary waiver of the Family Court’s jurisdiction on September 10, and his further agreement to be charged and prosecuted as an adult in Criminal Court.
According to police, on Tuesday, October 22, 2019, at approximately 1:45 p.m., Brick Township Police were summoned to Brick Memorial High School for a report of a student who had sustained a gunshot wound.
Investigation revealed that the student was walking home from school with three friends when he was shot approximately one-quarter mile away from Brick Memorial; he then ran back to the school for help.
As a precaution, Brick Township Police and school officials locked down the high school as well as neighboring schools before determining there was no
immediate danger to students.
Officials report that the victim was treated at Ocean Medical Center in Brick Township and released.
As part of their investigation, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Brick Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office reviewed video surveillance footage from nearby residences.
Police report that the video surveillance depicted Legrande, who was 17 years old at the time, and Luis Rivas, who was also a juvenile, acting together and in support of one another in carrying out the shooting.
Further investigation revealed that Legrande was, in fact, the individual who fired the weapon. He was apprehended on October 23, 2019, and has been lodged in the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center since his apprehension.
Rivas, who likewise agreed to be prosecuted as an adult, previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault and is presently scheduled to be sentenced on October 2.
“Our law enforcement partners at the local, county, state, and federal levels, displayed a tremendous amount of teamwork and collaboration to swiftly investigate this crime and bring these individuals into custody," Prosecutor Billhimer said. "Without this level of cooperation, this horrendous crime would not have been solved, nor would Rivas’ and Legrande’s guilty pleas have been made possible. I am grateful for their collective assistance which has resulted in two very dangerous individuals being removed from our streets."