Murder Indictment In Fatal Attack On Freehold Twp. Photographer

FREEHOLD, NJ — A Middlesex County man has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder in in what prosecutors say was a racially motivated May 2018 attack on a Freehold Township photographer and first aid squad volunteer who later died from his injuries.

Jamil S. Hubbard, 26, of Sayreville, was indicted on seven counts, including first-degree murder and first-degree felony murder in the death of Jerry Wolkowitz, 56, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni announced Monday.

Wolkowitz, a professional photographer and freelance photojournalist, was hospitalized following the attack and died Oct. 18, 2018, from the injuries he suffered May 1, 2018. He never regained consciousness.

Freehold Township police found Wolkowitz lying in the parking lot of his Harding Road apartment complex about 7:15 a.m. on May 1, with injuries to his head and body.

Detectives from the Freehold Township Police Department and the Monmouth County prosecutor's office allege Hubbard approached Wolkowitz from behind, punching Wolkowitz in the head and face, and then dragged him into the parking lot. Authorities allege Hubbard then drove his motor vehicle over Wolkowitz, and stole Wolkowitz's vehicle. It was later discovered abandoned on Bordentown Avenue in Sayreville.

Hubbard was arrested at his home later on May 1 by Sayreville police. He remains in the Monmouth County Correctional Institute pending trial, where he has been since his arrest.

The investigation determined Hubbard did not know or have any prior contact with Wolkowitz before the attack, the prosecutor's office said.

Wolkowitz, who was a professional photographer for more than 30 years, also had been a volunteer for the Freehold First Aid Squad and a driver for SAS Ambulance.

Hubbard was indicted in July 2018 by a Monmouth County grand jury on charges of first-degree attempted murder, third-degree possession of a weapon (a motor vehicle) for an unlawful purpose and first-degree bias intimidation, in connection with the attack.

A GoFundme remains active to help with the costs of Wolkowitz's medical and legal expenses; click here to contribute.

Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here.

Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Freehold Patch on Facebook.