Assault and Other Charges Filed Against Man who Barricaded Himself In Point Beach Motel Room

Jason Avalos, 31, is charged with aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice and criminal mischief after barricading himself in a motel room and threatening to kill himself and possibly others, police said Tuesday.

Avalos had also cut his wrist while still in his efficiency room at the Pelican Point Motel, where police had to negotiate with him for hours before he finally came out late Sunday night, said Lt. Robert Dikun.

Avalos had been treated at the scene,  transported to Ocean County Medical Center in Brick late Sunday night, and then transferred to Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Hammonton late Monday night, Dikun said.

Bail was set at $15,000, no 10 percent option.

Avalos had also told police Sunday night that he had swallowed bags of heroin. Dikun said on Tuesday morning that he does not know if medical staff ever determined if he had in fact ingested any drugs.

Dikun said no illegal narcotics were found in the motel room.

Avalos did not physically harm any police officers or other first responders at the scene.

However, he was charged with aggravated assault because he had a knife and was threatening to harm responding police officers, said Detective Patrick Petruzziello.

Police added the "obstruction" charge because Avalos had, for nearly three hours, ignored police commands to get out of the room, Dikun said.

Avalos had lived at the motel at 210 Arnold Ave. since at least December, when he was arrested for knowingly giving false information to a law enforcement officer. He was also arrested on a theft charge on March 1, Dikun said.

Avalos, who had been alone in his room, called police at about 8:15 p.m. Sunday and said he had barricaded himself in a room at the Pelican Point Motel, formerly the Colonial Motel, said Sgt. Robert Goessel.

Dikun said, "The man said he wanted to take his life and, if necessary, take other lives. It was recognized as a very dangerous situation from the outset.

"The officers initially on the scene opened a line of communication with the man, who was coming across as violent and emotionally disturbed to himself and to police officers," Dikun said.

"They were able to build a rapport with him and maintained constant communication," Dikun said.

Corporal Peter Andreyev, Patrolman First Class Robert Kowalewski and Officer Kyle Boturla were the first on the scene.

"The officers and crisis negotiators, who were called in, talked him into surrendering," he said. "They did a a masterful job."

The man said on the telephone that he wanted to harm himself and had placed furniture in front of his locked motel room door, Goessel said.

When the man ultimately came out of the room at about 11 p.m., police saw that the man had cut his wrist and was bleeding profusely, Goessel said.

Paramedics treated him at the scene and transported him to Ocean County Medical Center in Brick for medical and psychological evaluations, Goessel said.

Paramedics had said the wrist laceration was not life-threatening, said Dikun.