2 Men Charged With Beating Patient At Ocean County Rehabilitation Facility

Friday, October 18, 2024, 11:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ.- Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer reported that following an investigation on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, Dhenmark Francisco, 28, of Toms River, New Jersey, and Jovi Esperanza, 31, of Beachwood, New Jersey were taken into custody and jailed after being charged in connection with an assault that occurred in Berkeley Township on Monday, October 14, 2024.

     Following being taken into custody, Francisco and Esperanza were each charged with Aggravated Assault for the alleged beating of a patient at the Crystal Lake Rehabilitation Facility located in Berkeley Township, New Jersey.

     According to Ocean County authorities, on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, the Berkely Township Police Department was contacted by staff from the Rehabilitation Facility regarding a patient who had been severely assaulted. An ensuing investigation by Detectives of the Berkeley Township Police Department uncovered that on Monday, October 14, 2024, shortly before 12:00 p.m., a 52-year-old male patient at the facility was assaulted by two Certified Nursing Assistants who were employed at the facility.

Patient Hospitalized In Critical But Stable Condition

     Detectives further learned that following the alleged assault, the patient was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he was subsequently transported to Robert Wood Johnson Unversity Medical Center for treatment, where he remains in critical but stable condition.

     During the investigation, Detectives were able to identify Francisco and Esperanza as the Certified Nursing Assistants who assaulted the patient shortly before noon on Monday.

Francisco And Esperanza Arrested

     Following the investigation, on Tuesday, Francisco was taken into custody at the rehabilitation facility without incident, processed on the charges, and remanded to the Ocean County Jail pending future court proceedings in Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River, New Jersey.

     After learning of the charges, Esperanza surrendered himself at the Berkeley Township Police Department and was likewise processed on the charges and lodged in the Ocean County Jail. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office has filed a motion with the court to have both men detained pending trial.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”