Lakehurst Man Indicted in Hammer Attack
Richard F. Kopec Jr. faces two counts in the April attack
A Lakehurst man has been indicted in a hammer attack on another borough resident that occurred in April.
Richard J. Kopec Jr., 19, was indicted last week by an Ocean County grand jury, sitting in Toms River, on one count of third-degree aggravated assault and one count of fourth-degree possession of a weapon, a hammer, in the April 25 attack on Timothy Shepherd.
Shepherd was attacked at a home on Chestnut Street, police said. Police arriving at the scene found two suspects — identified as Kopec and a 16-year-old from Jackson — walking along Chestnut near Rose Street. Shepherd pointed them out to police at the time, the police report said. Shepherd was treated for an injury to his hand, they said.
Kopec and the juvenile, who was found "concealing a hammer under his waistband along with a switchblade knife," were arrested and Kopec was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
The teen was charged with two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of a prohibited weapon for carrying the switchblade knife, and resisting arrest, according to Lakehurst Chief of Police Eric Higgins said. He was released to his mother pending Family Court.
Kopec was released on $25,000 bail, no 10 percent, on April 27.
Kopec also has been arrested in recent months on other charges. He was charged in January with four counts of theft and one count of criminal mischief in connection with the theft of items from cars between Oct. 30, 2011, and Jan. 12. In March, he was charged after allegedly soliciting an adult to purchase alcohol. And on May 2, he was charged with disorderly conduct after police responded to multiple reports of a fight at the 7-Eleven on Route 70.
concerned citizen
10:29 am on Thursday, August 9, 2012
They need to lock this kid up and throw away the key!!! His name is somehow linked to about 10 different crimes in the past 2 or 3 months that Ive seen on the patch. Including, underage drinking, theft from vehicles, stealing lottery tickets...list goes on, why is he free??? Lock him up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We Own The Night
10:48 am on Thursday, August 9, 2012
Another fine product from the north side of 70 in Lakehurst.
Timothy M Farrow
7:24 pm on Thursday, August 9, 2012
You'd do well to save such enlightened statements for the night you own... then people will be a lot less likely to notice your vapid ignorance.
Michele Dimeo
4:15 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
I agree with Timothy. I've lived here my whole life and now raise my 4 kids here. I also am on the "North side of 70" as you put it. I live down the street from this unfortunate individual, but the broad statement you've selected blankets this whole side of 70. You really should think before you speak, I can tell you alot of unfavorable areas in Lakehurst and they are all over this 1 square mile town.
Hurstian
1:26 pm on Thursday, August 9, 2012
Another renter from another slumlord property owner in Lakehurst. This is the problem here. To Many degenerates are moving in town because of the slumlords who rent for section 8 housing. Low income doesnt mean that people are dirtbags but most of whats going on in town can and should be avoided otherwise more and more people like the KOPECs will be crawling out from under rocks all over the place to cripple this town and sour our identity. I request mayor Robbins and Council put some local ordinance in place to avoid absent T landlords " Bailey" "Fratto" and the garbage they bring into small towns like lakehurst. The Kopecs are one of a few problem people in town that as you can see just continue on the road of counter productive to society and make this place look full of trash. These people are not originally from Lakehurst they are trans tumbleweeds that blow in here due to the slumlords.
Timothy M Farrow
6:05 pm on Thursday, August 9, 2012
There's plenty of home grown degenerates here too pal. This is a town of less than 3,000... I seriously doubt people appreciate you calling their homes slums. Take the problem to Harry Robbery all you want but if you think you can call people 'garbage' in this town based simply on where they live you're in for a rude awakening. Not everyone fits into a blanket caste. Fair scorn is earned by the traits of the individual; like making wildly inflammatory statements while hiding behind a pseudonym, for instance.
Michele Dimeo
4:15 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
Timothy, I agreed with you last time, but this time i think you might be misunderstanding a part of this comment. I don't believe Hurstian is saying all the people who rent section 8 are trash. Unfortunately there is a certain type of person or people that come along with section 8 housing. It is (with the exclusion of the honest hard working unemployed) that you find the same people at the welfare office standing outside with 4 kids, on their cell phone next to their escalade and smoking a cigarette. Oh don't let me forget a lot of the ladies have their fake nails done as well. Not that I'm against owning or having any of these luxuries, but if you can't afford food for your self and your kids and can't pay your bills.....then they are the first luxuries to go. Back to the section 8, I get why the landlords do it its easy income and for the most part that's what most people look for now a days is instant gratification.