Man Shot Rideshare Pickup 3 Times At Howell Home; Now He's Headed To Prison

HOWELL, NJ — A Howell Township man who shot a pickup truck three times when the driver arrived for a rideshare request has been sentenced to 17 years in state prison, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said Thursday.

Pietro A. Ventricelli, 47, was sentenced Tuesday by Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley in the 2023 incident, the prosecutor's office said.

The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 15, 2023, outside the Carrie Drive home of Ventricelli's girlfriend, authorities said.

Howell police learned that three teens who were friends with the girlfriend's son were sitting in a vehicle outside the home waiting for their rideshare service. When the rideshare vehicle — a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup — arrived, the three got out of the other vehicle but set off the vehicle's alarm system by accident in the process, authorities said.

Ventricelli came outside and started shooting at the pickup truck, hitting it three times, authorities said. The driver was able to leave without any injuries to anyone in the vehicle, authorities said.

"While it is fortunate in this case that no one was injured, this could have had a far worse outcome," Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said.

"Confrontation around your home can easily escalate a theft into a violent assault or worse, potentially injuring or killing someone, including the homeowner," Santiago said. "The use of deadly force to protect property is never the answer. If you believe a theft is taking place in your home or you feel threatened in any way, dial 911 immediately."

"Let this serve as a reminder to think twice prior to retaliating against a possible intruder," he said. "The law is particular when you are permitted to use deadly force and this case was not one of them."

Ventricelli was sentenced to 12 years on a count of first-degree attempted murder, subject to the provisions of New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, which requires he serve 85 percent of the sentence before he becomes eligible for parole consideration. He additionally was sentenced to five years for the second-degree certain persons not to possess a weapon charge, which will run consecutively.