Police: Monmouth County Man Arrested After Assault Spree on Girlfriend, Roommate, Cruiser, Officers, and Even Himself

A 24-year-old Highlands resident has been arrested and received multiple charges after an assault spree against his girlfriend, his roommate, police officers, and even himself, according to police and court records.

Police received a call at approximately 6:15 a.m. on October 29, from a caller reporting that Levi C. Soza had allegedly attacked his girlfriend, while restraining her from leaving and threatening her with a large knife at the residence the caller shares with Soza on Route 36.

A Fair Haven police investigation found that Soza had also taken a taxi cab later that morning to his girlfriend’s residence, located on Grange Street in Fair Haven, from which he was banned by a restraining order stemming from a prior domestic violence incident, according to Monmouth County court records. Records state that he entered the residence and committed a burglary, after making multiple threats against his girlfriend on social media during the time period from when she was able to leave his residence to return to her home, and when he arrived at her home.

The roommate who contacted police also reported that when Soza returned back to his home, he allegedly attacked the caller to the point of almost passing out.

At approximately 8 a.m. that morning, officers from Highlands arrived at Soza’s residence to take him into custody, but according to police, Soza continued his violence streak. He is alleged to have kicked and destroyed a window in the back of a Highlands police cruiser, and then kicked several different Highlands officers who attempted to further restrain and secure him. He proceeded to head butt the partition in the cruiser while telling officers he would not go to county jail, according to Highlands police.

Soza had to be taken to Centra State Medical Center in Freehold to be examined, but was medically cleared of having inflicted any serious injuries on himself. Officers from the Highlands had initially arrested Soza on charges out of Fair Haven for Burglary, Criminal Trespass, and Violation of a Restraining Order, and he was to be brought to the Monmouth County Correctional Institute on $28,500 bail order, no 10% posting option, per Judge John R. Tassini. By the time his assault streak was over, Soza had also racked up felony charges of: two counts of Aggravated Assault on a Domestic Violence Victim; four counts of Aggravated Assault on Police Officers; Kidnapping; Criminal Restraint; Tampering with a Witness; Retaliation Against a Witness; Possession of a Weapon; Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose; and two counts of Criminal Mischief.

Soza is now being held on $400,000 bail, with no 10% posting option. His first court appearance is scheduled at 9:00 a.m. on November 13.

An arrest is not a conviction, and every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.