Two men have been indicted in connection with a violent altercation that took place on May 9th at a home in Toms River — an incident that left one man dead and another injured.

Authorities say the confrontation unfolded early in the morning at a residence on Adams Avenue. At around 7:20 a.m., police were called to the scene by an off-duty Class II officer from Seaside Park who had just left a nearby convenience store and witnessed the disturbance.

When officers arrived, they found 34-year-old Raniek Mendez of Brick with a stab wound to the chest. He was rushed to Community Medical Center in Toms River but later succumbed to his injuries. Witnesses also reported hearing a gunshot, and investigators recovered a single shell casing at the scene.

A second individual, later identified as 30-year-old Roderick Seward of Toms River, had also been stabbed. He was transported to Ocean University Medical Center in Brick Township by a family member with injuries described as non-life-threatening.

It was later discovered that police had responded to the same residence earlier that morning — just before 6:00 a.m. — for a reported altercation between Steven McNeill, 32, of Jackson, and Seward. At that time, McNeill had left the residence, and no further action was taken.

Later that morning, police identified a vehicle believed to be involved and spotted it traveling in Jackson Township. When officers attempted to pull it over, the driver — McNeill — initially failed to stop but eventually complied and was taken into custody without incident.

Following a joint investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Toms River Police, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, McNeill was identified as the person responsible for Mendez’s death and Seward’s stabbing. He was charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, Weapons Offenses, Eluding, and being a Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon. He remains lodged in the Ocean County Jail.

Meanwhile, a search of the Adams Avenue residence led to the discovery of a backpack belonging to Seward, which contained a quantity of cocaine. He was charged with Possession of Cocaine and Intent to Distribute.

On July 1st, authorities filed additional charges against Seward after determining that he had fired a gun during the incident. He was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and later turned himself in. He was released pending court proceedings, in accordance with New Jersey’s bail reform laws.