On Saturday, March 5, State Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced the arrest of one Nicholas Mucci as the accused assailant for the January incident at the Trinity Episcopal Parish in Asbury Park. Following a peaceful concert focused on racial justice and unity, innocent attendees were accosted by pepper spray and smoke bombs while the attacker allegedly yelled, “White lives matter.”

The 28-year-old Toms River Native is charged with the second-degree crimes of causing or risking widespread injury or damage and possession of a weapon (explosives) for unlawful purposes, as well as arson, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, and possession of a destructive device in the third degree.

After Mucci’s arrest, Assemblywomen Marilyn Piperno and Kim Eulner, sate representatives of Asbury Park City, released the following statement:

“Thanks to the work of law enforcement, churchgoers of Trinity Episcopal Parish in Asbury Park can rest assured justice will be served. Our society should be a place of compassion and inclusivity for everyone and where the safety of our houses of worship are never violated. Therefore, let us stand firm in support of those impacted by this attack, resolve to foster respect, dignity, and love among all of us, and unite in opposition to the violence perpetrated that day.”