NJ Man, 19, Charged With Assaulting Cop at Fatal Wildwood Car Rally

WILDWOOD — A 19-year-old is the fourth person facing charges in connection to a fatal, unsanctioned car rally last month.

Joshua Bocchino, of Long Branch, was arrested at his home on West End Avenue on Thursday, according to the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office.

Authorities said a large number of tips from the public helped to identify Bocchino as the dark-hooded person responsible for assaulting a police officer at the H2Oi rally on Sept. 24.

Bocchino is charged with third-degree aggravated assault, third-degree resisting arrest, and obstruction of justice. He is being held at Cape May County jail pending a court appearance.

Get our free mobile app

“We are continuing to review video footage and receive tips from the public to make sure we charge all the individuals who are identified as criminal actors during riotous and reckless events that took place during the weekend of September 24, 2022," Cape May County Prosecutor Jefferey Sutherland said.

Prosecutors seek Wildwood suspect

Investigators are still trying to find the driver of a black Honda Accord that was in a crash on the same evening involving a BMW and a golf cart.

Eryk Wnek, 22, of Linden, is charged with second-degree aggravated assault and third-degree assault by auto. Prosecutors say he was behind the wheel of the BMW that did a burnout, collided with the Honda, then spun into the golf cart occupied by a father, his girlfriend, and their four daughters.

The father of four, Erhan Bayram, 31, of Williamstown, was hospitalized in critical condition. The rest of his family sustained minor injuries.

Arrests at Wildwood car rally

Authorities also arrested Gerald White, 37, of Pittsburgh, for a double fatal crash at the rally. Lindsay Weakland, 18, of Carlisle, PA, and Timothy Ogden, 34, of Clayton, were identified as the victims of the crash.

White is charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter for extreme indifference, two counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter for eluding police, two counts of second-degree aggravated assault for serious bodily injury, and two counts of second-degree aggravated assault for fleeing from police.

Zion Diaz, 18, of Hammonton, was arrested at his home on Oct. 12. He is charged with fourth-degree riot.