Brother of Slain Toms River Boy Charged in Domestic Dispute

The older brother of Brandon Holt, the 6-year-old Toms River boy who died in a fatal shooting in April, was arrested and charged after a domestic dispute last week, police said.

Skylar D. Watkins, 18, faces aggravated assault, simple assault and criminal mischief charges following an incident with his juvenile girlfriend at the family’s McCormick Drive home, according to Chief of Police Michael Mastronardy.

The dispute occurred around 11 a.m. on Friday, and police responded to the residence at 2 p.m., according to the chief.

Mastronardy said that the criminal mischief charge was issued because Watkins allegedly vandalized his juvenile girlfriend’s cell phone.

Watkins was held in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River on $100,000 bail, according to the county department of corrections.

The Holt family had stayed elsewhere following the April accidental shooting in which a 4-year-old playmate shot Brandon with a rifle, but has since returned to the neighborhood. Anthony Senatore, 33, faces numerous charges for not securing weapons in his home, authorities have said.

The girl’s identity was not released and no charges were issued against her, Mastronardy said.

Officers Carl Basile and William Hutton of the Toms River Police Department responded to the incident, the chief said.