85-year old Asbury Park man pleads guilty to killing man in jealous rage

An Asbury Park man has admitted to killing a fellow tenant in his building in a jealousy fueled tirade over that mans friendship with a woman.

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Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey announced the guilty plea Saturday of Johnny Westbrook, of Asbury Park to first degree Aggravated Manslaughter before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Ellen Torregrossa-O’Connor stemming from the 2018 incident.

Westbrook faces up to 10 years in prison, with 8.5 years parole ineligibility, when he returns for sentencing on August 19.

On December 21, 2018 Westbrook admits to driving his 1998 Ford Explorer to a local store where he had followed 63-year old Daniel Rivera, who was a fellow tenant in his building.

He then waited for Rivera outside the store in his vehicle and when he came out, Westbrook then drove along the sidewalk, hit Rivera and dragged him for several feet before taking off.

Westbrook has just acknowledged that his actions resulted in the victim’s death.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Asbury Park Police ran an investigation into what happened and also learned that Westbrook and the victim were involved in a physical altercation about a month before this incident "due to Westbrook’s jealousy over the victim’s friendship with a woman," Assistant Prosecutor Linskey said. "That animosity culminated in Westbrook’s actions of running the victim down while he was walking home the week before Christmas"

Following the incident in December 2018, Police discovered Westbrook’s SUV parked a few hundred feet from the crime scene with Rivera's blood and hair on the bottom of the vehicle.

He was later arrested and charged.

This case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Cummings.

Westbrook is represented by Patrice Bearden, Esq., and Joshua Hood, Esq.