Long Branch Man Indicted For Armed Home Invasion, Vehicular Homicide

LONG BRANCH, NJ — A Long Branch man who broke into a home earlier this year, armed with a gun and demanding money from the homeowners, has now been indicted on a laundry list of serious crimes, including felony murder.

Altonia Williams, 46, was indicted Friday on charges of felony murder, vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter after he fled from police in that incident and caused a car crash, killing his female car passenger.

The incident unfolded shortly before 4 a.m. on Aug. 14, a Monday: Long Branch Police were dispatched to Narragansett Avenue for a report of an armed home invasion.

Williams did not know the victims, said police.

The caller was awoken in the middle of the night and discovered a man in their living room armed with a gun, demanding money. Police responded to the area and located a white BMW driving away from the scene.

Long Branch Police ordered the driver (Williams) to stop. However, he fled, said police.

Minutes later, another Long Branch police officer saw the BMW driving towards him at a high rate of speed. The BMW collided with the patrol car in the area of MacArthur and Elmwood avenues in Long Branch.

A woman, 38, in the front passenger seat of the BMW was seriously injured. She was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she was pronounced dead at approximately 7:12 a.m.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as Williams, fled the vehicle after the crash and was found hiding in a bush with a loaded handgun. Police say Williams’s license was suspended and he was intoxicated at the time of the crash as a result of ingesting marijuana.

The Long Branch police officer was also injured; he was treated and later released.

On Friday, Dec. 22 Williams was indicted on the following charges:

• Armed Robbery
• Armed Burglary
• Four counts of Aggravated Assault by Pointing a Firearm
• Felony Murder
• Vehicular Homicide
• Aggravated Manslaughter while Eluding
• Aggravated Assault While Eluding
• Knowingly Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Death
• Driving While Suspended Causing Death
• Assault by Auto
• Unlawful Possession of a Firearm
• Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose
• Possession of a Prohibited Weapon
• Eluding
• Hindering
• Certain Persons Not to Have a Weapon