Crime & Safety
Jersey City Man Wanted for Wife's Murder Arrested In Toms River
Steven Acuna was riding in a vehicle on Route 37 Friday late afternoon
A Jersey City man wanted for the murder of his wife was arrested in Toms River late Friday afternoon, according to Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy.
Steven Acuna, 38, was taken into custody by Jersey City police officers after he was briefly taken to Toms River police headquarters, according to Mastronardy.
Acuna's wife, Randy "Amanda" Lehrer, 32, went missing on Aug. 17. Her remains were found on Friday encased in cement inside a 55-gallon drum in the basement of the Charles Street apartment where she lived, according to The Jersey Journal newspaper.
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"Jersey City police contacted us on Friday and said there was a warrant out for his [Steven Acuna] arrest," said Mastronardy.
Acuna, who apparently was staying with a family member in town, was in a motor vehicle that was stopped by police on Route 37 late Friday afternoon, according to the chief.
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"He was taken briefly to headquarters then quickly taken to Jersey City," said Mastronardy. "Our detectives were working with their detectives."
Acuna is being held on $1 million bail at the Hudson County Correctional Facility and is expected to make his first appearance on the murder charges tomorrow at Central Judicial Processing Court in Jersey City via a videolink with the jail, according to The Jersey Journal.
