Lakehurst Man Indicted in Hammer 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 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. 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