BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Authorities in Ocean County have charged a 20-year-old woman with attempted murder after she allegedly stabbed her 2-year-old brother inside their family’s Brick Township home over the weekend.
Police say Marlene Rodriguez was taken into custody Saturday following a violent incident that left the toddler hospitalized with a stab wound to his chest.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, officers responded to a 911 call around 2:30 p.m. on Burke Lane, where they discovered the injured child.
Emergency crews rushed the boy to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where doctors treated him for severe but non-life-threatening injuries. Officials confirmed he remained in stable condition as of Sunday morning.
Investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Brick Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that Rodriguez was responsible for the attack.
“Rodriguez was taken into custody at Brick Township Police Headquarters and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where she is presently lodged pending a detention hearing,” the statement said.
Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer praised law enforcement teams for their “collective efforts” in swiftly identifying and arresting the suspect.
Rodriguez faces multiple felony counts, including attempted murder, endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Authorities have not disclosed any motive behind the alleged attack, and it remains unclear when Rodriguez will make her first court appearance.
