A Connecticut man involved in a shootout with a Tuckerton police officer has been arrested.
Miguel Angel Villegas, 29, was the subject of a massive manhunt after exchanging gunfire with the police officer in Tuckerton Borough, Ocean County, at about 10:20 Thursday morning, after the vehicle he was a passenger in fled a motor vehicle stop and caused a collision with another vehicle, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.
The officer was not injured.
Villegas fled on foot.
He was arrested just after 8 p.m. at Penn Station in New York, Billhimer said.
Villegas will be charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose.
“It is my understanding that Villegas is wanted out of Connecticut,” Billhimer said. “We will be seeking extradition from New York to bring him back here to Ocean County to face these charges.”
He thanked the many law enforcement entities that helped in the case, including the U.S. Marshals Service, New York City Police Department, Tuckerton Borough Police Department, Little Egg Harbor Police Department, New Jersey State Police, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center, New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit, New Jersey Transit Police, Ocean County Regional SWAT, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9, New Haven Police (Connecticut), Port Authority Police, Tuckerton Fire Department and Tuckerton Public Works Department.
“This was truly a team effort,” Billhimer said. “The public can rest easy tonight knowing the men and women of law enforcement worked through the day into tonight to bring Villegas into custody peacefully.”
The investigation is ongoing. More details are expected to be released later.
