Resident Indicted on Attempted Murder Charge in January Shooting

A Long Branch resident was indicted by a Monmouth County grand jury Tuesday for a shooting that occurred on Jan. 2 near the corner of Joline and Ocean avenues.

Omar A. Machore-Reaves Jr., 23, of Hope Lane, was indicted on charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. 

On Jan. 2, at 9 p.m., Machore-Reaves Jr., 23, of Long Branch, allegedly shot Robert Reid, 28, also of Long Branch, during a dispute near the corner of Joline and Ocean avenues, police said. Detective Sgt. Jeff Pilone said that Machore-Reaves Jr. allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Reid in the buttocks.

Machore-Reaves Jr. fled the scene in a vehicle and Reid was transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune to be treated for his gunshot wound, police said.

Pilone said that the following night Long Branch police Sgt. Josh Bard was working plain clothes detail, meaning he was wearing street clothes, in an unmarked police car, and observed Machore-Reaves Jr.'s vehicle in the area around Morris and 3rd avenues. Bard pulled the car over, and with the help of Patrol Officer John Evangelho, and charged him with attempted murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Pilone said based on the information about the shooting, he, Sgt. Bard, Detective Kim Leavy, and Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office Detective Mike Clancy were able to recover the gun in Asbury Park.

The investigation was handled by Leavy and Clancy.