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After a nearly month-long trial, a jury convicted 42-year-old Tyshaun Drummond on Tuesday, Oct. 22 of two murder counts, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. He was charged in the deaths of 36-year-old Nicholas Hardy of Toms River and 32-year-old Sergio Chavez-Perez of Lakewood.
Lakewood police responded to shots fired at an apartment complex on River Avenue at around 7:20 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021. Officers found Drummond matching a suspect description and arrested him after using a stun gun because he failed to comply.
Police found Hardy and Chavez-Perez's bodies inside the building and both men had been shot in the head. Drummond was brought to a local hospital and has been held in the Ocean County Jail since Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021. A grand jury indicted Drummond in March 2022.
In addition to the murder convictions, Drummond was also found guilty of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and burglary.
"It has taken nearly three years, but justice has finally been served in this case," said Billhimer. "Soon, Tyshaun Drummond will be held to account for the brutal murders of Mr. Hardy and Mr. Chavez-Perez, as he faces the prospect of spending the rest of his natural born days in prison. We hope this jury verdict affords the loved ones of these victims some semblance of closure."
According to a GoFundMe page, Chavez-Perez had three children, ages 12, seven, and two at the time of his death.
Drummond was facing up to life in prison and his sentencing was scheduled for Friday, Dec. 13.
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