FREEHOLD— A Freehold Borough man pleaded guilty Friday to first degree Aggravated Manslaughter in the 2014, strangulation death of his pregnant girlfriend, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Sender Neftali Villatoro-Reyes, 27, of Freehold Borough, pleaded guilty Friday to first degree Aggravated Manslaughter. Villatoro-Reyes entered his guilty plea before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Richard W. English.
On Friday, May 16, 2014, at approximately 2:15 a.m., Villatoro-Reyes of Freehold Borough called 911and reported that he killed his 30 year-old girlfriend, Lucenay Fermin Gallegos at their home at 51 Hudson Street Apt. #3, in Freehold Borough. Freehold Borough police officers responded to the home and located Fermin Gallegos deceased, on the couch in their apartment. She was pronounced dead on May 16, 2014, at 3:27 a.m. by Dr. Spiegel at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. An autopsy was conducted the same day by Middlesex County Medical Examiner Diane Karluk. The cause of death was asphyxia due to manual strangulation. The victim was approximately five months pregnant at the time of her death.
The Freehold Borough Police Department and Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes conducted a joint investigation. Villatoro-Reyes was arrested and charged with Murder the same day. The defendant was originally indicted by a Grand Jury on March 23, 2015, for one count of Murder.
At his plea before Judge English, Villatoro-Reyes admitted that he during an argument with the victim, the defendant placed his hands around her throat, strangling her to death.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, the State is recommending a sentence of 28 years in a state prison. Subject to the No Early Release Act, Villatoro-Reyes must serve 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole; in addition, he will be under parole supervision for five years once released.
Villatoro-Reyes is scheduled for sentencing on April 21, 2017 before Judge English.
Villatoro-Reyes remains incarcerated in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution on $1,000,000 bail with no 10% option.
Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Jennifer Lipp and Julia Alonso handled the case.
Villatoro-Reyes is represented by Allison Friedman, Esq., of Freehold.
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