Manchester man who terrorized and attacked Jewish men goes to state prison

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Manchester Township man who was sentenced to federal prison on Tuesday for a series of attacks on Orthodox Jewish men in April 2022 has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for those attacks, the Ocean County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Dion Marsh, 29, was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison without parole by Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan for pleading guilty to terrorism in the April 8, 2022, attacks in Lakewood and Jackson. In the attacks, he stabbed one man, hit three others with cars and attempted to kidnap a child, said District Attorney Bradley D. Billhimer.

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Marsh will serve his sentence in state prison, with his 40-year federal sentence running concurrently with the state sentence, prosecutors said. Marsh pleaded guilty to the terrorism charge on Jan. 24, 2024. He remains in the Ocean County Jail, where he has been held since his arrest on April 8, 2022.

“It is clear that Marsh’s vicious rampage was aimed at terrorizing the Jewish community,” Billhimer said. “This prison sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to terrorize innocent citizens in Ocean County: We will pursue you, prosecute you, and ultimately convict you. We will do everything in our power to send you to prison for a very long time. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Hate has no home in Ocean County.”

“I am confident that this lengthy prison sentence will have a deterrent effect on anyone who has even the slightest desire to give in to their misguided feelings of bias and hatred,” he said.

“I am grateful to all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation, whose collective efforts and teamwork led to Marsh’s quick arrest and his lengthy prison sentence today,” Billhimer said.

The timeline of events on April 8, 2022 was as follows:

Approximately 1:10 p.m.: A man was driving a 2011 Toyota Camry north on Arlington Avenue in Lakewood when he was approached by a male suspect – Marsh – on foot. Marsh attempted to open the car door. The victim locked the door upon seeing Marsh approaching, and as Marsh attempted to open the door, the victim accelerated and began to drive away. Marsh reached through the open window and attempted to grab hold of the moving car; it drove approximately one block before Marsh finally let go.

13.15: Lakewood Township Police were called to the area of ​​Martin Luther King Drive and Pine Street on a report of a car theft. Officers learned that Marsh approached a 2016 Toyota Camry, assaulted the driver and fled the area in the car.

17:20: A man crossing southbound Kimball Road at Central Avenue in Lakewood was struck from the right by a dark-colored sedan, sustaining minor injuries. The vehicle then fled the scene.

17:25: A man called 911 from the area of ​​Carlton Avenue and Central Avenue in Lakewood to report that his minor son had been struck by a black Honda Accord occupied by a thin black man, later identified as Marsh. The caller said Marsh attempted to forcibly grab his son and pull him into the car, but was unsuccessful.

6pm: Lakewood Police received a report of a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle in the area of ​​Central Avenue and Carlton Avenue. Police found a man struck by a dark colored vehicle. The victim was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where he was treated for his injuries and released.

18:55: Lakewood Police responded to a 911 call reporting a stabbing near Pine Circle Drive and Lakewood New Egypt Road. Officers found a man with a stab wound to the chest. The victim was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he was treated for his injuries and released.

20:20: Jackson Township Police responded to a 911 call reporting a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle in the area of ​​Galassi Court. Officers were able to determine that the man had been struck by the same vehicle stolen in the Lakewood carjacking earlier in the day. The victim was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he was treated, transferred to a rehabilitation facility, and eventually released.

The authorities managed to identify Marsh as the person responsible and arrested him that same evening at his home in Manchester.

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