JACKSON – A 19-year-old Freehold man has admitted to stabbing a woman in an Ocean County apartment complex before fleeing from police the following day, authorities said.
Jaden Thompson pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer to attempted murder, endangering the welfare of a child and eluding, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.
Jackson Township police responded to the Paragon Apartments on Larsen Road on Nov. 27, 2025, after receiving a report of a stabbing. Officers discovered a woman suffering from a wound to her abdomen and an unharmed 19-month-old child nearby.
The woman was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment and was later released. Investigators identified Thompson as the person responsible for the attack and determined that he had left the area in a black Hyundai Sonata, officials said.
Edison Township police located the vehicle the following day. Thompson allegedly sped away when officers attempted to stop him and eventually crashed, according to authorities. He then tried to escape on foot but was apprehended nearby.
Thompson was transferred to the Ocean County Jail on Nov. 29, 2025, and has remained there since.
At his Oct. 23 sentencing, prosecutors will recommend a 10-year state prison term for attempted murder. The sentence would fall under the No Early Release Act, requiring Thompson to serve at least 85% before becoming eligible for parole.
The state will also seek five-year prison terms on each of the remaining charges. All three sentences are expected to run concurrently.
Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Kaitlyn Burke is handling the case. Billhimer credited the Jackson, Edison and Carteret police departments, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service with assisting in the investigation.
