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Maxwell Johnston, 35, was wanted for murder and several other charges, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Wednesday, July 3. He was identified as the suspect in the shooting death of 25-year-old Gabriella Caroleo on Thursday, June 27.
Manchester police responded to a report of a gunshot victim near the intersection of Ridgeway and Hope Chapel roads at around 4:55 p.m. Officers found Caroleo with a wound to her stomach.
Caroleo was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. She was pronounced dead at the Neptune hospital.
An arrest warrant was issued for Johnston and his name was put into the National Crime Information Center database.
“We have been working diligently with our law enforcement partners to locate Johnston," Billhimer said in a statement. "Great teamwork has been exhibited by all of the respective law enforcement agencies and officers involved in this investigation. We are focused on finding Johnston and [bringing] him into custody."
A GoFundMe page said Caroleo was the mother of a three-year-old son. According to her obituary, she was born in Staten Island and had lived in Ocean County for 18 years.
Caroleo's GoFundMe had raised more than $4,500 from at least 70 donations as of Wednesday, July 3.
"A young vibrant, strong independent woman who loved the color purple and enjoyed laughing with her great sense of humor," Caroleo's obituary said. "She collected Jordans and Nike sneakers, and listened to rap, R&B, and country music and was kind, giving, [and] good-hearted."
A visitation and funeral were held for Caroleo on Tuesday, July 2.
Johnston was also facing charges of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and being a certain person not to possess a weapon.
Anyone with information about where Johnston could be should call the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027, ext. 2476, or the Manchester Township Police Department at 732-657-2009, ext. 4211.
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