Atlantic Highlands Police Chief, Mayor Praise Officers For Solving Murder Case Of Young Woman

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ — On Monday morning, Atlantic Highlands Police Chief Scott Reinert praised local police officers for bringing closure to a murder case that haunted the town for the past four years.

In June 2022, the body of a young woman was found inside a car parked in a quiet, residential section of Atlantic Highlands.

On Friday, her ex-boyfriend, Jordan Vilcatoma-Correjo, 32, was found guilty for her murder.

The car, a Honda Accord, was parked on Asbury Avenue between Navesink and Grand avenues. At 7:45 a.m. June 10, 2022, Atlantic Highlands Police received a 911 call from the car. It was Vilcatoma-Correjo who made the 911 call, said Atlantic Highlands Police. He was either in the car or standing nearby when police got there.

Gonzalez’s body was found in the backseat. Her body was covered in garbage bags, missing an eye and with signs that she had been strangled and subject to blunt-force trauma.

Vilcatoma-Correjo was immediately taken into custody. He was criminally charged with murder for her death and indicted in September of that year. The trial against Vilcatoma-Correjo began last week. A jury deliberated for two days before finding him guilty Friday of first-degree murder and second-degree disturbing human remains.

He has not yet been sentenced; that will be in September.

Police say the two had recently broken up, and she broke up with him. Gonzalez had changed her phone number and daily routine to avoid contact with him. Prosecutors say he had become increasingly obsessive, aggressive and threatening during the days before he killed her.

On Monday, Atlantic Highlands Mayor Lori Hohenleitner praised local police officers for their detective work, which resulted in a murder conviction.

"It was something that really shocked the town," she recalled. "This happened in a residential part of town, and our police department did outstanding police work. Multiple Atlantic Highlands detectives testified in court. We're very proud of the police work and their evidence collection of this case, which resulted in a conviction on all counts."

Atlantic Highlands Police said Lt. Michael Zudonyi, Sgt. Travis Sodon and Patrolman Joseph LaBella specifically worked on this case for the past four years.

"From the initial response through the four-year investigative and judicial process, their commitment to ensuring justice was unwavering," said Atlantic Highlands Police Chief Scott Reinert. "While we did not seek out a case of this nature, we accepted the responsibility and carried it through from start to finish."

Last week: Edison Man Found Guilty Of Murdering Girlfriend; Body Found In Car In Atlantic Highlands

First report on this: Woman Found Dead In Car In Atlantic Highlands (June 2022)