Red Bank Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Fatal 2011 Stabbing

A Red Bank man who admitted he was responsible for the 2011 stabbing death of another Red Bank man was sentenced to 14 years in a New Jersey state prison, announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Jose Olivares-Palma, 26, was sentenced yesterday by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge John T. Mullaney for the stabbing death of Larry Yarborough, 39, also of Red Bank. The 14-year sentence is subject to the provisions of the No Early Release Act (NERA), requiring Olivares-Palma to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed, or 11 years, 10 months and 28 days, before being eligible for parole. Olivares-Palma pleaded guilty on May 5, 2014, to the first degree crime of Aggravated Manslaughter and a second degree crime of Aggravated Assault.

Olivares-Palma’s co-defendant, Gennaro Guerrero-Montes, 22, was also sentenced yesterday by Judge Mullaney. Guerrero-Montes was sentenced to 6 years in New Jersey state prison for his lesser role in the death of Larry Yarborough. Guerrero-Montes had pleaded guilty on May 5, 2014 to the second degree crime of Aggravated Assault.

On August 7, 2011 Red Bank police were called to the scene of the crime on Bank Street. The responding officers found two victims with stab wounds. The first victim, Larry Yarborough, had multiple stab wounds and did not survive. The second victim, Manuel Rosas-Ocelotl, had one stab wound, was hospitalized and did survive. A subsequent investigation revealed that the victims and their friends were involved in a dispute with the defendants and their friends and a fight broke out. During the fight, the defendants retrieved knives and stabbed the victims before fleeing the scene.

Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor William A. Somers handled the case for the State. Olivares-Palma was represented by Charles Moriarty, Esq., of West Long Branch. Guerrero-Montes was represented by Jeffrey Coghlan, Esq. of Freehold, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.