TOMS RIVER – A Manchester Township man was sentenced to six years in state prison for opening fire on a bicyclist during a 2024 shooting, authorities said.
Anthony Zigarelli, 21, previously pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and a charge of being a certain person prohibited from possessing a weapon, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.
Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan sentenced Zigarelli on Sept. 11 to six years for aggravated assault. Under the No Early Release Act, he must serve at least 85% of that term before becoming eligible for parole.
Zigarelli also received a concurrent five-year sentence on the weapons charge, with five years of parole ineligibility. He entered both guilty pleas June 1.
Toms River police responded to the area of Camino Medio and Camino Verde at approximately 4:05 p.m. May 14, 2024, after receiving several 911 calls reporting gunfire.
Investigators determined that a man was riding his bicycle through the neighborhood as Zigarelli and Anthony Ventrice, 19, of Toms River, stood near a vehicle.
Authorities said Ventrice fired several rounds toward the bicyclist as he passed them. The two then entered the vehicle and drove past the victim, at which point Zigarelli allegedly fired additional shots in his direction.
The bicyclist was not struck and escaped the attack without injury.
Zigarelli was arrested May 29, 2024, and has remained in the Ocean County Jail since then.
Ventrice was a juvenile when the shooting occurred, but his case was later transferred to adult court. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault June 1 and remains jailed while awaiting sentencing.
Assistant Prosecutor Emma Hurst handled the cases for the state. The investigation involved the Toms River and Lakewood police departments and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.
