Teen accused of stabbing on Ocean City boardwalk

By MADDY VITALE

Police arrested a teenager on attempted murder charges in connection with a stabbing on the Ocean City boardwalk during a tumultuous Memorial Day weekend marked by fighting and other crimes in the resort town.

In a press release Wednesday, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland and Ocean City Police Chief Bill Campbell announced the arrest of a Pleasantville teenager for allegedly stabbing a 20-year-old boy. 15 years old on the promenade on Saturday May 25.

“Through diligent investigative work, including witness interviews, review of surveillance footage and other investigative analysis, investigating detectives were able to identify a juvenile suspect,” the statement said. Sutherland and Campbell in the release.

With the assistance of the Hamilton Township and Pleasantville Police Departments, the suspect was located and taken into custody in Pleasantville on Tuesday.

In addition to attempted murder, the juvenile is charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses. His identity has not been released because he is a minor.

On the evening of the assault, around 9:12 p.m., police received a 911 call about an assault and went to 10th Street and the Parkway, where groups of juveniles were fighting.

The 15-year-old boy suffered lacerations and a stab wound to the abdomen. He was taken to hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

On May 30, Mayor Jay Gillian, Campbell and other city, county and state officials held a press conference in front of the Ocean City Music Pier to outline the steps they are taking to combat the rowdy behavior of adolescents.

Gillian and Campbell have repeatedly sought to reassure the public that Ocean City remains a safe, welcoming, family-friendly vacation destination poised for a successful summer tourism season.

“Anyone who loves Ocean City can rest assured that this summer will be great. We don't blame anyone. We are Ocean City. We are the safest city. That’s why people come here,” Gillian said.

A fight involving a group of teenagers from Atlantic City, Pleasantville and Mays Landing who knew each other led to the stabbing, Campbell said at the Boardwalk news conference.

“This was a targeted engagement between these minors. No other people were targeted. Once this group was under control and removed from the promenade, order and civility was restored in approximately 60 to 90 minutes,” he said.

Sutherland praised the collaboration between law enforcement involved in the stabbing investigation.

“The arrest of the suspect in this case is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of all the detectives and officers involved. This cooperative effort underscores our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our community,” Sutherland said in the release.

In total, police brought 23 teenagers to the police station for fighting, shoplifting and other crimes over the holiday weekend. Police also issued more than 1,300 warnings for public drinking, marijuana use, curfew violations and other offenses.

Teenagers who were brought in by police for “precinct adjustments” were released into the custody of their parents and can avoid formal charges by performing community service, Campbell said.

The city cracked down on rowdy teens in 2023 by closing beaches at 8 p.m., closing Boardwalk restrooms at 10 p.m., and imposing an 11 p.m. curfew on minors on Ocean City streets and on the boardwalk.

Gillian and Campbell said curfews and other crime-fighting measures approved in 2023 remain in effect this summer.