Man Arrested, Accused Of Breaking Cyclist's Jaw In Jersey Shore Road Rage Incident

BELMAR, NJ — A Belmar man is accused of pulling his car over in front of a pair of bicyclists Friday and punching one of them in the face, causing injuries so severe the cyclist needed surgery for a broken jaw.

The man accused is Anthony Alvear, a Belmar resident.

Belmar Police officers arrested Alvear at his home Sunday, and took him into custody without incident. He is charged with second-degree aggravated assault and was also issued a summons for a noise violation.

On Friday afternoon, Belmar Police responded to a 911 call about a bicyclist who had just been assaulted in the area of 12th and D streets. Upon arrival, officers encountered the victim, a 70-year-old man, who had sustained injuries to his head and face.

Police say Alvear was driving a dark-blue Kia SUV that pulled in front of the pair of bicyclists and stopped short. Alvear parked, got out of the driver's seat and began shouting at the 70-year-old man. He then punched the cyclist in the face with a closed fist, cursing at him while the victim remained on his bicycle, said police.

A resident posted this video, from a neighbor's Ring camera, of the punch.

The video shows a suspect identified as Alvear punching the man while saying "F— you, mother—. Don't f— start s—." The cyclist can be seen falling to the ground, and police say Alvear then got back into his car and drove off.

"Go f— yourself," police say Alvear said, and then called the man a homophobic slur while driving off. People rushed to help the cyclist, who was lying on the road.

"Are you OK?" a man asks, and someone can be heard saying "no."

"The altercation stemmed from a traffic-related encounter at the intersection of D Street and 10th Avenue," said police.

Belmar Police said they identified Alvear as the suspect that same day, Aug. 22, and they went to his home that day to arrest him. But he was not home. He was taken into police custody Sunday and was taken to the Monmouth County jail.