FREEHOLD – A Sayreville man has been sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 35 years after he attacked and killed a Freehold man in a parking lot five years ago, officials said.
Jamil Hubbard, 30, was sentenced on April 25 for causing the death of 56-year-old Jerry Wolkowitz.
On May 1, 2018, authorities found Wolkowitz severely injured at the Chesterfield Apartments. He had sustained severe injuries to his head, abdomen, and back. He was subsequently brought to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for emergency treatment.
Police discovered Wolkowitz’s vehicle, a Kia Forte, was missing from the parking lot. They later determined that Hubbard had stolen it.
“Hubbard then led police on a pursuit, refusing to obey commands to pull over, until it was terminated due to high speeds and out of concern for public safety. Minutes later, the Kia was found abandoned on Bordentown Avenue in Sayreville, and Hubbard was arrested by members of the Sayreville Police Department without incident at his home in the nearby Winding Wood Apartments,” the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said.
It was later revealed that Hubbard was in the area that morning because he had slept in his car overnight, after having an argument with his ex-girlfriend who is a resident of the apartment complex.
When he woke up, Hubbard told investigators that he spotted Wolkowitz walking nearby and “decided to try to kill him because he was white,” and attacked him from behind. Hubbard punched and kicked Wolkowitz before stealing his wallet and car keys.
Additionally, Hubbard told police that he dragged the victim into the parking lot and ran him over.
Wolkowitz was a longtime member of the Freehold First Aid and Emergency Squad and a freelance photographer. He was hospitalized in a coma until he died due to his injuries on October 18, 2018.
In March 2019, a Monmouth County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Hubbard.
After a seven-week trial, Hubbard was found guilty of first-degree Murder, first-degree Bias Intimidation, second-degree Eluding, third-degree Theft from a Person, third-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and third-degree Motor Vehicle Theft.
“Racism has no place in our community. The evidence demonstrated this brutal attack was a targeted one, based on race, and such abhorrent behavior cannot be tolerated. Yesterday’s sentencing constituted an unambiguous message regarding this notion,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said. “There is no place in civilized society for those who commit such acts, and the only appropriate reckoning in cases such as these is their permanent removal from society. We hope that yesterday’s proceedings offered a measure of solace for the many individuals who so clearly loved and respected Mr. Wolkowitz so deeply.”
