TOMS RIVER, N.J. – Eric Manzanares, 24, of Asbury Park, has been indicted by an Ocean County Grand Jury on charges related to the fatal shooting of Nymere Tinsley, 25, of Brick Township, which occurred on August 27, 2022, in Toms River. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced the indictment on August 21, 2024.
Manzanares faces multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of a high-capacity ammunition magazine, and two counts of being a certain person not to possess a weapon.
The charges stem from a shooting incident at the Top Tier Hookah Lounge, located at 1769 Hooper Avenue in Toms River. On August 27, 2022, at approximately 1:20 a.m., officers from the Toms River Township Police Department responded to reports of gunfire at the lounge. Upon arrival, they found three victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Nymere Tinsley sustained a fatal gunshot wound to his lower abdomen and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other victims, Anthony Miller, 30, of Neptune Township, and Jamal Bland, 26, of Asbury Park, were transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for treatment. Miller suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach, while Bland was shot in the elbow. Both were treated and released.
An extensive investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit led to Manzanares being identified as the shooter. On the day of the shooting, Manzanares was charged with murder and other related offenses, and a warrant for his arrest was issued, with his name entered into the National Crime Information Center database.
Manzanares evaded capture until April 7, 2023, when he was apprehended by law enforcement in Prince William County, Virginia. He was detained at the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center until his extradition to Ocean County on January 24, 2024. Since then, he has been held at the Ocean County Jail.
The indictment represents a significant development in the case, as Manzanares now faces trial for the charges against him.