Armed, 'Dangerous' Man Arrested In Hazlet After 7-Hour Man Hunt

HAZLET, NJ — The Hazlet Township Police Department has successfully found and taken custody of an "armed and dangerous" man wanted for questioning in relation to an aggravated attack in Keyport. The news comes following a seven-hour manhunt that involved multiple towns from across the Bayshore area.

On Tuesday shortly before 2 p.m., Hazlet police warned residents of a potentially dangerous man who fled the scene of a Keyport stabbing at the Route 36 Stop and Shop on Tuesday. The 51-year-old man, who was described as wearing a red hat and blue shirt, fled towards the area of Airport Plaza in a wooded area, police said.

"He is considered armed and dangerous, PLEASE DO NOT APPROACH the male," the alert read.

As of 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Hazlet police said there were multiple police departments searching the area of Airport Plaza in the woods, including multiple K-9 units and a state police helicopter. The exhaustive search was conducted between Shoreland Cemetery and Airport Plaza, police said.

In an 8:01 p.m. update, authorities said that the man was reportedly seen behind St. John's United Methodist Church on Florence Avenue at 7:21 p.m. Hazlet's Deputy Chief Robert Mulligan spotted the man and took him into custody with the help of Sgt. Robert Dickens and Patrolman Megan Quinn.

"We are happy to announce that the subject we have been looking for all day was just taken into custody by Hazlet Police. Numerous officers from multiple jurisdictions including Keyport, Union Beach, Middletown, Matawan, Monmouth County Sheriffs Office and the New Jersey State Police," the Hazlet Township Police Department wrote.

The Daily Voice initially reported that a woman was stabbed on Tuesday afternoon in front of the Route 36 Stop and Shop store. She was taken to an area hospital by EMS, the publication said.

"We are thankful for all of the support we received from our Bayshore, County and State partners today," Hazlet Police Chief Ted Wittke wrote in a statement. "We are also thankful that we were able to take this potentially dangerous person off the street."