New Jersey hate crime suspect assaulted, ran over stranger, police say
FREEHOLD, New Jersey (WABC) -- A New Jersey man is facing charges after authorities say he assaulted another man and then drove over him with his vehicle in what is being investigated as a hate crime.
Jamil Hubbard, 25, of Sayreville, is charged with first-degree attempted murder, third-degree possession of a weapon (a motor vehicle) for an unlawful purpose and first-degree bias intimidation, in connection with the May 1 early morning attack on 55-year-old Jerry Wolkowitz, of Freehold Township.
The brutal assault happened around 7:15 a.m. in the parking lot of the victim's Harding Road residence.
Responding officers found the victim lying in the parking lot area with injuries to his head and body. Wolkowitz was transported to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
An investigation conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and Freehold Township Police Department revealed that Hubbard approached the victim from behind, hitting him with his fists on his head and face before dragging him into the parking lot.
Officials said the suspect then drove his motor vehicle over the victim and stole the victim's car, which was later discovered abandoned on Bordentown Avenue in Sayreville.
Hubbard was apprehended at his home later that same day by members of the Sayreville Police Department. He has remained detained in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution since that date.
The investigation determined that the suspect did not know or have any previous contact with the victim prior to this attack, and authorities believe it to be racially motivated.
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