Woman Charged With Harboring Manchester Slaying Fugitive In Toms River
TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Seaside Heights woman has been charged with harboring a fugitive in connection with the standoff in Toms River on Friday, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced Saturday. Elizabeth C. Mascarelli, 29, is accused of allowing Maxwell A. Johnston, 35, of Manchester, to stay with her in the house on Ravenwood Drive for four days, despite knowing of his alleged involvement in the slaying of Gabriella M. Caroleo on June 27, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. Murder and weapons charges were announced against Johnston on July 3 by the prosecutor's office, which said he had been added to the national fugitives database. Read more: Fugitive Sought In Fatal Shooting Of Woman, 25, In ManchesterBy Friday, authorities had located Johnston at the home on Ravenwood Drive, and detectives from the prosecutor's Major Crime Unit along with U.S. Marshals and Manchester Township police went to make the arrest. When they arrived at the house, U.S. Marshals convinced three people there to leave, but Johnston and Mascarelli remained in the house, and authorities learned he was armed, Billhimer said.Negotiators attempted to convince Johnston to surrender peacefully, but he refused. After several hours, Mascarelli came out of the house and was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River to be treated for injuries sustained throughout the standoff, he said.Authorities then used a drone to check the home and through the drone found Johnston dead in a bedroom with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head, Billhimer said. There was no estimate given of how long he had been dead before Mascarelli left the house. Authorities then learned Mascarelli had allowed Johnston to stay at the house with her for four days, he said. "As such, Mascarelli was charged with hindering a fugitive from justice, and served with the charge on a complaint at the hospital," Billhimer said.She is being held at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River pending a first appearance and a detention hearing. The standoff began early Friday afternoon, with authorities shutting down access to multiple roads around the home for several blocks and they evacuated neighboring homes because Johnston was firing at law enforcement. The Ocean County Sheriff's Office issued an alert about 1:45 p.m. warning people to stay away from the area, and about 7:40 p.m. heavily armed officers dressed in SWAT gear were walking down nearby streets and packing up their gear as the standoff had ended. "I’d like to commend the men and women in law enforcement that spent the day trying to bring this situation to a peaceful resolution," Billhimer said Friday night. "There were many tense moments and the men and women that were out there handled themselves professionally and thankfully none of them were injured."The standoff ended a weeklong search after Caroleo, 25, was found with a gunshot wound to the stomach near Ridgeway Liquors, in the area of Ridgeway Road and Hope Chapel Road in Manchester on June 27. She was flown to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune but succumbed to her injuries, authorities said. Caroleo's hometown was listed as Seaside Heights by authorities, but family members said she had been living in Barnegat. Caroleo, who had a young son, also is survived by her parents, siblings and extended family, according to her obituary. Related: Woman Slain In Manchester Remembered As Independent, Good-HeartedInvestigators determined Johnston was the person responsible for Caroleo's death, but have not provided details on what led them to Johnston. Read more: Fugitive Sought In Fatal Shooting Of Woman, 25, In ManchesterThe following agencies were involved: the Ocean CountyBillhimer said the following agencies assisted in the investigation: The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit; the Manchester Township Police Department and its Detective Bureau; the Toms River Police Department, its Detective Bureau, and its Emergency Services Unit; the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team; the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit and K-9 Unit; the United States Marshals Service; the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office; the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office; the Monmouth County Emergency Response Team; the Howell Township Police Department; the New Jersey State Police; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office; the Newark Police Department, and the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office.The article Woman Charged With Harboring Manchester Slaying Fugitive In Toms River appeared first on Toms River, NJ Patch.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings