Long Branch Man Charged With First-Degree Murder In Shooting Death Of City Man: Prosecutor

LONG BRANCH, NJ - The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office has charged a city man with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a Long Branch man last Sunday, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said.

Jeffrey S. Williams, 20, was arrested and charged Thursday evening with the shooting death of Hector C. Mejia. Williams was formally charged with first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree robbery, second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Williams was scheduled to make his first appearance today at 1:30 before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Richard W. English at the Monmouth County Courthouse.

The Long Branch Police Department received a 911 call from a resident of 111-2 Liberty Street at approximately 11:41 p.m. on July 16, 2017. The caller told police that she found her husband, Hector C. Mejia, lying on the ground bleeding in front of their home. Police and medical personnel responded to that location and found the victim, with a gunshot wound, near the front door of the home. Mejia was pronounced dead at 11:56 p.m., Gramiccioni said.

Long Branch Police contacted the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and a joint investigation was launched. Detectives from both agencies worked tirelessly for four days identify the person responsible. Both the Keansburg and Lakewood police departments also assisted, he said.

Anyone with additional information regarding the murder of Hector Mejia should contact Detective Adam Hess of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443 or Detective Todd Coleman of the Long Branch Police Department at 732-222-1000.

Williams faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in a New Jersey state prison without parole and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, subject to the provisions of the "No Early Release Act" (NERA) requiring him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole if he is convicted of murder or felony murder. He would also be under parole supervision for five years following his release from state prison.

If convicted of Robbery, Williams faces up to 20 years in state prison if convicted of robbery and up to 10 years in state prison if convicted on the second-degree weapons offenses, Gramiccioni said.

Patch file photo.