Mexican national who lived in Long Branch guilty of murder

(FREEHOLD) A Long Branch man was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in a New Jersey state prison after admitting earlier this year to his role in the 2013 death of an El Salvadorian man found dead in the basement of a Willow Avenue residence, announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Victor Garzon-Alvarez, 30, a Mexican national who was living in Long Branch, was sentenced Wednesday afternoon by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Francis J. Vernoia, P.J.Cr. for the stabbing death of 39-year-old Manuel Vilaseca-Cortez, of Long Branch, the father of five children. The 14-year prison sentence is subject to the provisions of the “No Early Release Act” (NERA) requiring him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole. He will also be under parole supervision for five years following his release from state prison.

Vilaseca-Cortez was found dead on Jan. 3, 2013, in the basement of a Willow Avenue home where he was living after Long Branch police responded to a 911 call around 4:20 p.m. reporting the discovery of an unresponsive male. Law enforcement officers found the deceased victim, covered by a blanket, on top of two rolls of carpet padding that served as a bed for defendant Victor Garzon-Alvarez. Garzon-Alvarez, who shared the basement dwelling with another man, had not been seen by any of the residents of the premises for several days prior to the finding.

An autopsy revealed Vilaseca-Cortez sustained numerous injuries: two stab wounds to the chest, two stab wounds to the left side of the abdomen, one stab wound to the neck, one stab wound to the left elbow, and blunt force trauma to the left hand. The cause of death was determined to be one of the stab wounds to the chest.

A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Long Branch Police Department, and U.S. Marshal’s Office led to the arrest of Garzon-Alvarez on Jan. 16, 2013. The investigation ultimately revealed Garzon-Alvarez and the victim were acquaintances who spent the early morning hours of New Year’s Day in the basement dwelling. An altercation ensued resulting in Garzon-Alvarez stabbing the victim to death. Garzon-Alvarez, who was not wounded during the incident, placed the victim on his sleeping area before fleeing the residence.

The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Stacy Handler and Julia Alonso. The defendant is represented by Raymond Santiago, Esq., of Freehold.