Story by Ethan
On August 28th, 2026, the arrests of Maria CobonGuzman, age 20, and Adriana Lazaro-Flores, age 22, were announced by Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Maria CobonGuzman was charged with Manslaughter, Operating a Motor Vehicle Without Ever Having Possessed or Been Issued a Valid Driver’s License While Involved in a Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash, and two counts of Assault by Auto. Adriana Lazaro-Flores was charged with Knowingly Engaging in Conduct Creating a Substantial Risk of Death to Another. The arrest and charges against Maria CobonGuzman and Adriana Lazaro-Flores were a result of an investigation handled by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit Vehicular Homicide Squad, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Jackson Township Police Department, Lakewood Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, at approximately 11:55 a.m. on August 28th, 2026, a motor vehicle crash involving pedestrians was reported in the area of the Jackson NPGS Grocery Store located on West County Line in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Officers from the Jackson Township Police Department responded to the scene to find a mother and her two children, a five-year-old and a nine-month-old, had been struck by a car in the parking lot of the grocery store. All three victims were taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey, where the mother and five-year-old remain hospitalized while receiving treatment while the nine-month-old was pronounced deceased upon arrival.
An investigation into the incident was initiated by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Jackson Township Police Department, revealed that Maria CobonGuzman was driving a Ford Fusion in the grocery store’s parking lot when she allegedly struck the victims who were walking in the area. It was uncovered that Maria CobonGuzman never had been issued or had possessed a valid drivers license in New Jersey or any other state. It’s also alleged that Adriana Lazaro-Flores was aware of this fact, however still allowed Maria CobonGuzman to operate the vehicle.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the charges against Maria CobonGuzman and Adriana Lazaro-Floes are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
