A man from Ocean County has been charged with attempted murder in connection to an incident where a woman was strangled in Point Pleasant during the summer of 2022.

Authorities say 31-year-old Juan Santiago-Rojas of Point Pleasant Borough was taken into custody in North Carolina last month; on January 12th, he was extradited to New Jersey where the charges against him were upgraded.

Timeline

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office says on August 22nd, 2022, officers with the Point Pleasant Borough Police Department responded to a home on Butler Avenue for a report of an unconscious woman.

Responding officers found the victim with serious injuries to her head and neck area. She was taken to an area hospital where she was treated and eventually released.

Investigation

An investigation revealed that the victim had allegedly been assaulted by Santiago-Rojas, who was initially charged with aggravated assault the following day.

Santiago-Rojas had been on the run until being arrested on December 8th, 2023, in Wilmington, NC.

Additional Charges

Further investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, "indicated that Santiago-Rojas assaulted the victim and strangled her to the point of unconsciousness."

As a consequence, Santiago-Rojas was additionally charged with attempted murder on Monday.

He remains held in the Ocean County Jail.

The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.