Man Sentenced To 14 Years For Shooting At Tuckerton Cop

TUCKERTON, NJ — A man who shot at a Tuckerton police officer in 2019 has been sentenced to 14 years in New Jersey State Prison, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said Monday.

Miguel Angel-Villegas, 31, of New Haven, Connecticut, will have to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole under the No Early Release Act.

Judge Guy P. Ryan also sentenced Angel-Villegas for five years in state prison following a previously entered guilty plea on Aug. 13 to hindering apprehension or prosecution. His sentences will run concurrently.

On Nov. 21, 2019, Angel-Villegas was a passenger in a car that fled a motor vehicle stop in Tuckerton. His girlfriend was driving when a Tuckerton officer pulled them over, Billhimer said. She sped away and hit another vehicle.

Angel-Villegas got out and started firing at the officer before escaping on foot, according to authorities. The officer wasn't injured.

Subsequent investigation determined that Angel-Villegas ordered the woman to give the officer a fake name, Billhimer said. He also threatened her with a handgun and forced her to speed away, according to the OCPO's investigation.

A daylong manhunt ended when authorities captured Angel-Villegas that evening in New York Penn Station.

Angel-Villegas has been lodged in the Ocean County Jail since the incident.

Prosecutor Billhimer said that Chief Trial Attorney Michael Weatherstone and Assistant Prosecutor Victoria Veni handled the case on behalf of the State.

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