By: Tracie Carter
Image by: Jerseyshoreonline
A Howell Township man has been convicted on multiple serious charges stemming from a violent home invasion and shooting that placed adults and children in danger, authorities announced.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said that on January 29, 2026, Gardin A. Guevara-Umanzor, 47, of Howell Township, was found guilty following a four-week jury trial in Ocean County Superior Court.
The verdict was returned before Judge Kenneth T. Palmer, J.S.C., with jurors determining beyond a reasonable doubt that Guevara-Umanzor unlawfully entered a residence in Jackson Township and fired multiple gunshots inside the home.
Guevara-Umanzor was convicted of burglary, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated assault, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
According to evidence presented at trial, the incident occurred on October 13, 2024, at approximately 1:20 a.m., when officers from the Jackson Township Police Department responded to a residence on New Prospect Road following a 911 call reporting an active shooting.
Investigators determined that Guevara-Umanzor entered the home armed with a handgun, pointed the weapon at one of the occupants, and fired five rounds into the residence, which was occupied by multiple adults and two children at the time.
During the shooting, one occupant attempted to disarm Guevara-Umanzor, causing both individuals to fall to the ground as additional shots were fired.
Other occupants also attempted to intervene before Guevara-Umanzor released the firearm and fled the residence.
A joint investigation by the Jackson Township Police Department Detective Bureau, the New Jersey State Police, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit led to the recovery of the handgun inside the home.
Guevara-Umanzor was later located at a neighboring residence, where he was taken into custody without incident.
He has remained detained at the Ocean County Jail since the date of his arrest.
Guevara-Umanzor is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27, 2026.
He faces up to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison for the burglary conviction under the No Early Release Act, up to 10 years for each of the weapons offenses, up to five years for each count of endangering the welfare of a child, and up to 18 months for aggravated assault.