Man Admits Shooting Taxi Driver To Death In Hazlet

HAZLET, NJ — A man has admitted to his role in a shooting that left a taxi driver dead in Hazlet last year, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said.

During a hearing held before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn on Tuesday, Gaetano S. Scannavino, 26, with a last known address in Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to a single charge of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, Santiago said.

Scannavino was arrested and charged in connection with the shooting after the incident took place in September 2024.

At 7:18 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, Hazlet police officers responded to the parking lot of 270 Route 36 for an EMS call.

Once officers arrived at the scene, prosecutors said they found an adult man dead on the ground near a dumpster with multiple gunshot wounds.

The victim was later identified as Anthony Hill, 42, of Eatontown, prosecutors said.

Hill was a long-time cab driver for Yellow Car in Red Bank, and remembered by friends and family as a "devoted husband, father, and friend, known for his kind heart and dedication to his family."

Following an investigation by members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Hazlet Township Police Department, Scannavino was identified as the suspect in the shooting, Santiago said.

Sentencing in this case has been tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at which time the State intends to seek a term of 30 years in state prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutors Joseph Cummings, Director of the MCPO Narcotics and Criminal Enterprise Investigation Section and Christopher Ammon of the Office’s Trial Division.

Scannavino is represented by Meghan J. Decker, Esq., with an office in Long Branch.

Previous Coverage

• Hazlet Homicide Under Investigation: Prosecutor
• Taxi Driver Found Shot Dead Near Hazlet Motel Dumpster
• Arrest Made In Hazlet Taxi Driver Slaying
• Suspect In Hazlet Homicide Stole Taxi, Ran Victim Over: Affidavit
• Taxi Driver Slain In Hazlet 'Touched The Lives Of Many'
• Red Bank Community Rallies Support For Family Of Slain Taxi Driver