July 28, 2021
BRICK TOWNSHIP, NJ (OCEAN)–Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Brick Township Chief of Police James Riccio announced that on July 26, 2021, Michael Stallworth, 37, of Seaside Heights, was charged with Attempted Murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1a(1) and N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1); Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4d; and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5d, relative to a stabbing incident that occurred in Brick Township on July 26, 2021.
On July 26, 2021, at approximately 4:00 p.m., Officers of the Brick Township Police Department responded to the parking lot of the ShopRite on Route 70 in Brick in response to a male victim having been stabbed in the parking lot. Responding Officers found a 44-year-old male victim with apparent stab wounds to his back. The victim was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment of his injuries, where he is reported to be in critical but stable condition.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Brick Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, has resulted in Stallworth being identified as the individual who stabbed the victim and caused his injuries. Stallworth has not yet been apprehended, and is presently considered a fugitive from justice.
The investigation further revealed that Kareem Reeves, 32, of Lakewood, removed Stallworth’s vehicle from the ShopRite parking lot after the stabbing in an apparent effort to hinder Stallworth’s apprehension. As such, Reeves was charged with Hindering in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:29-3a(1); he was arrested and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he is currently lodged pending a detention hearing.
“Stallworth is encouraged to turn himself in; a warrant has been issued for his arrest and his name has been entered in the National Crime Information Center database. Anyone with information concerning Stallworth’s whereabouts – or any information at all regarding this investigation – is urged to contact Detective Lindsay Woodfield of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027, extension 3989, or Detective Michael Bennett of the Brick Township Police Department at 732-262-1122,” Prosecutor Billhimer stated.
Prosecutor Billhimer and Chief Riccio acknowledge the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Brick Township Police Department Detective Bureau and Patrol Division, Lakewood Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation.
The charges referenced above are merely accusations and the press and public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. R.P.C. 3.6(b)(6).
Michael Stallworth, 37, of Seaside Heights
Michael Stallworth, 37, of Seaside Heights, was charged with Attempted Murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1a(1) and N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1); Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4d; and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5d, relative to a stabbing incident that occurred in Brick Township on July 26, 2021.