Lakewood Man Gets Life Sentence Under 'Three Strikes' Law

A Lakewood man with a lengthy criminal record was handed a life sentence by an Ocean County judge Monday morning, as he was being sentenced in a 2012 robbery case.

Antonio Jones, 46, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Francis Hodgson under New Jersey's "three strikes" law.

Jones, who has been incarcerated in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest, was taken into custody after he was arrested for holding up and robbing a victim on a Lakewood street Feb. 7, 2012.

According to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, about 30 minutes after the robbery, a man – later determined to be Jones – fitting the robber's description was spotted by Lakewood police, but fled. He was ultimately apprehended after a foot chase and, at police headquarters, found to be in possession of a a shekel, a unique coin the victim had carried in his wallet for years.

According to police reports at the time, Jones discarded a ski hat, a leather jacket and a novelty handgun covered by a black sock during the chase.

Jones' crime record dates back to 1987, according to Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. That year, he committed armed robbery and escape in Boston.

Just two years later, in Bridgeport, Conn., Jones was convicted on charges of kidnapping, robbery and sexual assault.

"As part of the robbery, he kidnapped the victim and then sexually assaulted her," said Della Fave.

There was an additional "escape issue" with the Connecticut case, Della Fave said.

Det. Thomas D'Elia, Ptl. Steve Kowaleski, Ptl. Joseph Prebish, and Sgt. Eric Miick were the Lakewood officers involved in the arrest and investigation, according to Al Della Fave.

Ocean County Sherriff’s Department CIU Detectives Eric Skieczius and John Anderson processed the scene and the defendant. The NJ State Police Laboratory forensic scientists Margaret Paul and Lynn Crutchley were also witnesses, Della Fave said.

Ocean County Prosecutor Detectives Juan Pastrana, John Steinhauer, Tiffany Resnick, John Doran, and Geoff Memmelaar assisted in the prosecution. The case was successfully prosecuted by Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Michelle Armstrong.