Ocean County Prosecutors announced that on August 5, 2022, Jorge Santiago-Garcia, 33, of Lakewood, was sentenced by the Honorable Rochelle Gizinski, J.S.C., to 25 years in New Jersey State Prison as a result of his previously entered guilty plea to Aggravated Manslaughter, in connection with the stabbing death of Rodrigo Jimenez-Paz in Lakewood Township on August 31, 2020.
According to Police, this sentence will be subject to the No Early Release Act, meaning that Santiago-Garcia will be required to serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence before he may be considered for parole eligibility.
Santiago-Garcia pled guilty to the charge before Judge Gizinski on June 9.
On August 31, 2020, Officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department were summoned to a business on 2nd Ave in Lakewood in response to multiple 911 calls indicating that an individual had been stabbed at that location. Responding Officers found Rodrigo Jimenez-Paz, 29, of Lakewood, with a stab wound to his chest.
Medical units transported Mr. Jimenez-Paz to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune; lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, and he was subsequently pronounced deceased.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, and Lakewood Police Department identified Jorge Santiago-Garcia as the individual who stabbed Mr. Jimenez-Paz.
Police state Santiago-Garcia was taken into custody at the scene and lodged in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest.