An off-duty cop was severely injured in what authorities described as an "unprovoked attack" while he was exercising on the Wildwood Boardwalk earlier this week.
According to the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office, an off-duty Stone Harbor Police Officer had been running on the boardwalk on the evening of Wednesday, March 12, 2025, when he was attacked by a group of people, resulting in significant injuries, including a concussion and facial fractures.
Officials said detectives determined that the attack was "unprovoked and targeted."
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Through investigative efforts, detectives were able to identify the group of individuals -- who had traveled to Wildwood from Gloucester and Camden Counties -- responsible for the attack, according to officials.
Officials said arrest warrants and court-ordered search warrants were executed in both Gloucester and Camden Counties, leading to the arrests of Isaiah Ortiz, age 19; Elijah Williams, age 19; William Jewell, age 20; Manuel Ortiz, age 21; and Maliky Reyes, age 20.
According to officials, Ortiz, a resident of Lindenwold, was charged with second-degree aggravated assault, second-degree conspiracy to commit assault, and third-degree failure to render aid to a victim. He was jailed at the Cape May County Correctional Facility.
Williams, a resident of Deptford, was charged with second-degree aggravated assault and second-degree conspiracy to commit assault. He was also jailed at the Cape May County Correctional Facility.
Jewell of Magnolia, Ortiz of Lindenwold, and Reyes of Stafford were all charged with third-degree failure to render aid to a victim. They were all released on a summons, officials said.
“The collaborative efforts of our office and the Wildwood Police Department have been instrumental in swiftly identifying those responsible for this senseless attack,” Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said in a news release. “We will continue to work tirelessly to hold those accountable for their actions and ensure that justice is served for the victim.”
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor’s
Office Major Crimes Unit at 609-465-1135, the Wildwood Police Department Detective Division at
609-522-0222 or anonymously through the Prosecutor’s Office website.
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