An Asbury Park man has been sentenced to state prison for a fatal shooting outside a Toms River hookah lounge that left one man dead and two others injured.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Eric Manzanares, 26, of Asbury Park, was sentenced on April 24, 2026, by the Honorable Guy P. Ryan to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison in connection with his guilty plea to aggravated manslaughter stemming from the 2022 incident.
In addition, Manzanares received seven-year prison sentences for each of two counts of aggravated assault tied to the same case. All sentences will run concurrently and are subject to the No Early Release Act, requiring him to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. Manzanares pleaded guilty to all charges on February 27, 2026.
The charges stem from a shooting that occurred on August 27, 2022, at approximately 1:20 a.m., when officers from the Toms River Township Police Department responded to Top Tier Hookah Lounge for reports of gunfire.
When officers arrived, they found three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Nymere Tinsley sustained a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen and was transported to Community Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased shortly afterward.
Two additional victims survived their injuries. Anthony Miller, 30, of Neptune Township, suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach and was treated and released. Jamal Bland, 26, of Asbury Park, suffered a gunshot wound to the elbow and was also treated and released.
Investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that Manzanares was responsible for shooting all three victims.
He was initially charged on the day of the shooting with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and his information was entered into the National Crime Information Center database.
Manzanares remained a fugitive until April 7, 2023, when he was apprehended by law enforcement in Prince William County. He was held at the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center before being extradited to Ocean County on January 24, 2024. He has remained lodged in the Ocean County Jail since that date.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Jamie Schron and Senior Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke for handling the case, and commended the multiple law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation and apprehension.