Five Men Charged with Assault of Off-Duty Officer in Wildwood

WILDWOOD, N.J. — Police say five men have been arrested and charged in connection with an attack on an off-duty Stone Harbor police officer on the Wildwood boardwalk March 12. Authorities report the incident occurred in the evening, leaving the officer with injuries including a concussion and facial fractures while he was exercising.

According to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, Wildwood detectives and the Major Crimes Unit investigated the assault, which they describe as unprovoked. Police say the suspects, identified as a group from Gloucester, Camden, and Ocean counties, were located after arrest and search warrants were executed across multiple counties. The men charged are Isaiah Ortiz, 19; Elijah Williams, 19; William Jewell, 20; Manuel Ortiz, 21; and Maliky Reyes, 20.

Isaiah Ortiz, of Lindenwold, faces charges of second-degree aggravated assault, second-degree conspiracy to commit assault, and third-degree failure to render aid, and is being held at the Cape May County Correctional Center. Elijah Williams, of Deptford, is charged with second-degree aggravated assault and conspiracy, also in custody at the same facility. William Jewell, of Magnolia, and Manuel Ortiz, of Lindenwold, each face third-degree failure to render aid charges and were released on summonses. Maliky Reyes, of Stafford, is charged with the same third-degree offense and was also released on a summons. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.