Lakewood Man Charged In Fatal Stabbing

A Lakewood man has been charged with the fatal stabbing early Saturday morning of another Lakewood resident in Toms River.

Steven Rosado, age 20, is charged with murder for the stabbing of Kevin Copes, 24, of Lakewood at the Briar Knolls apartment complex in Toms River early Saturday morning following a fight according to Ocean County Prosecutor Maureen Lynch Ford.

Copes was brought to Community Medical Center's emergency room where he later died.

Ford said in a press release there is enough evidence from a Toms River Police investigation to conclude that Rosato "was involved in a fight with the victim, and that we believe probable cause has been established to implicate Mr. Rosado in connection with the crime.  Murder charges have been authorized by my office."

The Prosecutor's Office is not ruling out a connection to a shooting in the Guilford Park section of Toms River, at or about the same time. "The victim in that shooting is expected to recover from his injuries, notwithstanding that the injuries were certainly life threatening," said Ford.