Prosecutors: Suspect who exchanged gunfire with officer in Tuckerton captured

Authorities say Miguel Angel Villegas, 29, was taken into custody Thursday night at Penn Station after a massive manhunt.

Authorities say the man at the center of a manhunt after he exchanged gunfire with an officer during a traffic stop in Tuckerton, New Jersey, has been captured. 

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said 29-year-old Miguel Angel Villegas, of New Haven, Connecticut, was taken into custody at Penn Station in New York shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday by the United States Marshals Service and the New York City Police Department. 

According to police, the gunfire began shortly before 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of Route 9 and North Green Street. The suspect fled the area on foot. The officer was not injured.

“Villegas will be charged with Attempted Murder, Kidnapping, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose,” Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer stated. “It is my understanding that Villegas is wanted out of Connecticut. We will be seeking extradition from New York to bring him back here to Ocean County to face these charges."

Multiple agencies worked to find the suspect. Area schools in Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor were placed on lockdown Thursday.

The investigation is going.