​Wanted Southern Ocean Co. Man Found In Atlantic City: Prosecutor

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — A wanted Tuckerton man charged with attempted murder was arrested Thursday in Atlantic City after a 24-day manhunt, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said.

The search for Donald Rutter, 51, began Jan. 5 after Little Egg Harbor Township police responded to a report that a man had been shot at Jarvis Marine on Radio Road in Tuckerton at 7:30 p.m.

Officers found Thomas Jarvis, 55, of Little Egg Harbor, with an apparent gunshot wound in his midsection, the OCPO said.

Jarvis was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center that night. Jarvis was released from the hospital and is still recovering from his injuries, according to the OCPO.

Following an investigation by the OCPO's Major Crime Unit, authorities determined that Rutter was the man who shot Jarvis, the OCPO said.

After an exhaustive search of the surrounding area, the OCPO said authorities were unsuccessful in locating Rutter.

The search continued and a warrant was issued for his arrest, charging him with attempted murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Rutter was found in Atlantic City on Thursday and arrested without incident by the United States Marshals Service, the OCPO said. He is lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.

“I am extremely thankful for the outstanding teamwork exhibited by all the law enforcement agencies involved in locating Rutter. This is a prime example of law enforcement at its best, with our partners at the local, county, state, and federal levels coming together - working tirelessly for more than three weeks - to capture a fugitive from justice. Their collaboration and perseverance certainly paid off today, as Rutter is now lodged in the Ocean County Jail,” Prosecutor Billhimer said.

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