SOUTHERN OCEAN COUNTY – Authorities have apprehended the individual accused of striking an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer with a vehicle during an attempted arrest in Stafford Township on Monday, sources familiar with the investigation said.
Sources indicated the suspect was taken into custody in Southern Ocean County. Other sources familiar with the investigation said the vehicle involved in Monday’s incident bore license plates registered to a Barnegat address. A report from New Jersey 101.5 said he was arrested at a hospital but Jersey Shore Online has not been able to confirm that.
The arrest comes one day after a dramatic encounter near the Wawa at Route 72 and Mermaid Drive in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township, where federal agents said a suspect fled a targeted vehicle stop, allegedly injuring an officer and prompting the discharge of a firearm.
The development comes after questions emerged about the suspect’s identity. Following the incident, ICE identified the individual as Friedrich Castillo-Ormeno, a Peruvian national who had been issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge in January 2026.
However, family members publicly disputed that identification, insisting Castillo-Ormeno had returned to Peru in March. An anonymous social media post sought assistance in proving that Castillo-Ormeno was not the person involved in the encounter with federal agents.
Sources indicate investigators ultimately located the suspect after he sought treatment for a gunshot wound reportedly sustained during the confrontation. Federal authorities have not yet publicly confirmed those details.
Additional information from ICE and the FBI is expected.
According to ICE, officers were conducting a targeted vehicle stop on Monday when the driver allegedly used the vehicle to strike an officer. The agency said the officer discharged a weapon during the encounter before the suspect fled the scene. The injured officer was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Stafford Township Police initially reported receiving notification of the encounter at approximately 9:30 a.m. near Route 72 and Mermaid Drive. Local authorities said federal agents were attempting to apprehend a suspect when the individual fled in a vehicle, striking an ICE agent. The agent then fired at the vehicle, reportedly hitting it before the suspect escaped.
In the hours following the incident, some social media users criticized the Stafford Township Police Department for what they perceived as a lack of cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Stafford police were not involved in the initial attempt to apprehend the suspect.
Afterward, Stafford officers assisted in securing the scene alongside members of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office. Residents also reported seeing Stafford police officers participating in search efforts in the surrounding area as law enforcement agencies worked to locate the fleeing suspect.
Federal officials subsequently launched a search for the suspect, who remained at large until his arrest.
