JACKSON – Police have arrested the Toms River man accused of assaulting a female victim in a Wawa parking lot recently.
On Oct. 15, members of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department arrested 26-year old Jesse J. Shawger. Shawger was processed at Jackson Police headquarters and lodged in the Ocean County Jail.
Police have been on the search for Shawger since the alleged assault incident took place about two weeks ago.
On Sept. 24, police responded to a residence on Melissa Lee Drive for a report of a female who had come out of a nearby wooded area screaming for help and was found by a resident. The female had reportedly picked up Shawger, who she knows, at a Jackson residence and drove to a nearby Wawa parking lot to talk inside the vehicle.
[adrotate banner="278"]“During that time it was alleged that the male suspect began using cocaine and had possession of a taser which he used to shock her multiple times. During this time he also allegedly threatened the victim with the taser not to attempt to alert police to what was taking place and then also choked her,” stated Captain Steven Laskiewicz.
The female victim then crawled into the backseat and Shawger drove away with her trapped in the rear. She was unable to exit the vehicle as the child safety locks were engaged. He then drove to Melissa Lee Drive, got out of the vehicle and dropped the vehicle keys on the ground. He proceeded to throw the victim’s cell phone into the woods before leaving on foot.
The surrounding area was later checked by police, but Shawger had already fled the area.
He was charged with: criminal restraint, robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and aggravated assault.
