Point Pleasant man, 31, pleads guilty to almost strangling woman to death
Juan Santiago-Rojas, 31, now faces a decade in state prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced before state Superior Court Judge Dina M. Vicari on Oct. 3, under the plea agreement, the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. The plea was formalized on Monday, Aug. 18.
On Aug. 22, 2022, police were called to an assault in a Butler Avenue home in Point Pleasant where they found an unconscious woman with injuries to her head and neck. The victim was taken to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick but was later moved to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, the regional trauma center, in Neptune, because of the seriousness of her injuries.
An investigation identified Santiago-Rojas as her attacker. However, he left the state after the attack and managed to hide from law enforcement for more than a year. On Dec. 8, 2023, he was located in Wilmington, North Carolina and taken into custody. He was extradited to New Jersey on Jan. 12, 2024, all according to the Prosecutor's Office.
More: NJ Governor Murphy urges swimmers to stay out of ocean as Hurricane Erin approaches
'Further investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit indicated that Santiago-Rojas assaulted the victim and strangled her to the point of unconsciousness on Aug. 22, 2022,' the statement said. 'As a consequence, Santiago-Rojas was additionally charged with attempted murder on Jan. 22, 2024.'
Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Point Pleasant NJ man pleads guilty to attempted murder
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