Freehold Borough man charged with shooting man in the face in Jackson

TOMS RIVER — A Freehold Borough man was arrested Wednesday, accused of shooting a man in the face in Jackson last week, said Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.

Michael Vulpis, 26, was charged with attempted murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon in connection with the shooting on July 27, Billhimer said.

About 12:20 a.m. on that day, Jackson police responded to Larsen Road on a report of a man shot, the prosecutor said. There, they found a 27-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his face, he said.

The victim, whom the prosecutor did not identify, was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he received treatment and was later released.

An investigation by the prosecutor's Major Crime Unit, Jackson police and the Ocean County Sheriff's Office determined that the victim and a woman were sitting in a parked vehicle outside a home on Larsen Road when a motorist in a blue sedan parked in front of the victim's car, blocking it in, Billhimer said.

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The investigation revealed that two men got out of the blue car, approached the victim's vehicle and knocked on the window, and that when the victim got out of the car, he was punched and shot in the face, the prosecutor said.

The two men then fled the area, he said.

The investigation further revealed that Vulpis was the shooter, Billhimer said.

Court records indicate that Vulpis has a record for a handgun offense. He was sentenced to two years on probation in 2018 after pleading guilty in Superior Court in Monmouth County to possessing a handgun without a license.

Vulpis was arrested without incident at his home and taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River. He faces a hearing to determine if he will remain incarcerated without bail to await trial.

Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com .

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Freehold Borough man charged with shooting man in the face in Jackson