Jackson Man Charged In Hit-And-Run That Killed Howell Woman

HOWELL, NJ - The driver of a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado that crashed into a Howell couple’s vehicle and killed an 81-year-old woman has been charged, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced Wednesday.

Roberto Alcazar-Sanchez, 27, of Jackson, was charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death on Dec. 30. He was also charged with operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver’s license while being involved in a motor vehicle accident resulting in death.

“Alcazar-Sanchez has not yet been apprehended, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and his name has been placed in the National Crime Information Center database," Prosecutor Billhimer said Wednesday. "Anyone with information concerning Alcazar-Sanchez’s whereabouts – or any information at all regarding this investigation – is urged to contact Detective Anthony Carrington of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027, or Officer Tristan Bennett of the Jackson Township Police Department at 732-928-1111."

During the investigation, Alcazar-Sanchez’s girlfriend, Reyna Mendez, 27, of Jackson, reportedly provided false information to detectives during the course of her questioning, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. Reyna Mendez was charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution. She was charged on a summons and released pending a future court date.

The collision occurred on Dec. 24 at approximately 6 p.m. Officers from the Jackson Township Police Department responded to the reported crash with "serious injuries" in the area of Cedar Swamp Road and I-195, authorities said.

The incident saw Norman Shtab, 83, of Howell, exiting I-195 at Exit 21 in Jackson in a 2010 Mercedes Benz. As Schab made a left-hand turn onto Cedar Swamp Road, his vehicle collided with Alcazar-Sanchez’s Silverado. Read more: Howell Couple Hit, Woman Killed In Christmas Eve Car Crash

Officials say Alcazar-Sanchez fled the scene on foot. A passenger in the Silverado, Jose Misael Pementel-Mendoza, 30, of Wrightstown, was transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center where he was treated and released.

Shtab and his wife, Phyllis Shtab, 81, were also transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center, where Mr. Schtab was treated and released. Mrs. Schtab succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead on Dec. 26.

According to an Asbury Park Press report, the Shtabs were en route to a Christmas Eve dinner when the collision happened. Phyllis was, among other things, a stage four cancer survivor, a “mother to all” in the neighborhood and a lover of all things fashion.

“This isn't just a name in the news article, this isn't just Phyllis Shtab, 81, of Howell New Jersey,” granddaughter Megan Shtab told News12. “This is a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend and aunt and so many more amazing things. This is a real human soul.”