Suspect in Asbury Park drive-by murder faces trial

A murder suspect from Farmingdale risks 30 years to life in prison if convicted of a cold-blooded drive-by shooting in Asbury Park last April.

Jacquil Jones, 26, was indicted Monday in Freehold for the death of Jermaine Huntley, 28, of Asbury Park, on Washington Avenue in broad daylight on April 10, 2014. Arraignment is to take place within 45 days, according to information from the office of acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Chris Grammiccioni.

He faces a first-degree murder charge and two second-degree weapons-possession counts. Conviction for murder, would also require serving 85 percent of the term before parole eligibility.

In addition to the penalty for a murder conviction, a guilty finding on either weapons charge carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years, subject to a mandatory minimum of half the sentence or three and a half years, whichever is greater, without parole.

According to information filed in relation to the case, police were called to Jersey Shore University Medical Center at 9:49 AM the day of the incident, in response to a report of a gunshot victim driven there by a friend. Huntley was pronounced dead by 10:28 AM, authorities said.

Jones drove onto Washington Avenue, drew a bead on Huntley, fired one round that hit its mark, and drove on, investigators said.  He was arrested July 2, 2014 and held in lieu of $1.2 million bail. Jones has been inside the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold since that point.