MONMOUTH COUNTY – A Howell Township man has been sentenced to 17 years in state prison for opening fire outside his girlfriend’s home nearly three years ago, according to an announcement Thursday from Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.
Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley handed down the sentence Tuesday to 47-year-old Pietro A. Ventricelli. He received 12 years for first-degree attempted murder under the No Early Release Act, requiring him to serve 85 percent of that term before becoming eligible for parole. An additional five-year sentence for a weapons offense will run consecutively.
The charges stem from an incident shortly after midnight on January 15, 2023. Howell Township Police responded to reports of gunfire on Carrie Drive, where investigators learned that three juveniles waiting for a rideshare were exiting a vehicle when its alarm sounded. Mistaking the situation for a threat, Ventricelli reportedly came outside and fired multiple rounds at the arriving rideshare pickup truck, striking it three times. No one inside the vehicle was hurt as the driver sped away.
Santiago emphasized that the case underscores the dangers of escalating perceived threats with deadly force. “While it is fortunate no one was injured, this could have ended far worse,” he said, urging residents to call 911 rather than confront suspected intruders.
The Major Crimes Bureau, Forensic Unit, Howell Police Department and the New Jersey State Police Ballistics Unit assisted in the investigation. Assistant Prosecutor Lisa Commentucci handled the case. Ventricelli was represented by attorneys Armando B. Suarez and Amy Luria of Roseland.
