MONMOUTH COUNTY – In the afternoon of Aug. 18, a 4-year-old girl was shot while sitting outside the family’s home on Boston Way in Asbury Park, police said. Now, they need the public’s help in tracking down the shooter.
The child was hit in the upper thigh, breaking the femur. The injury was serious, but was not considered life threatening.
“Enough is enough,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said. “We have a toddler who was struck and injured by a stray bullet while sitting outside her apartment in the middle of the day. Thankfully, all indications are that the little girl will recover. Unfortunately, though, this has not always been the case.”
He described a case in 2018 when 10-year-old Yovanni Banos-Merino, lost his life while hiding under a bed from gunfire.
“These senseless acts of violence must stop. We must do everything in our power to ensure that Monmouth County’s citizens, and their children, are safe and protected. We are requesting the public’s assistance to help bring the perpetrator to justice for this heinous and monstrous act,” he said.
The case is being investigated by members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Asbury Park Police Department. Anyone with information about this case is urged to call Detective William Anton of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 1-800-533-7443 or Asbury Park Police Detective Dillon Gourley at 1-732-774-1300.
Anonymous tips can be submitted to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling their confidential telephone tip line at 1-800-671-4400; or by downloading and using the free P3 Tips mobile app (available for iOS and Android p3tips.com/community/index.htm).
