RIO GRANDE – County Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor announces the indictment of William Ries, 70, for a shooting that occurred on Church Road in Middle Township.
At approximately 6:15 p.m. May 26, Middle Township Patrol Officers responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting that had just occurred at 38 Church Road in Middle Township. Upon arrival, officers found a 62-year-old female suffering from a gunshot wound to her chest. A 59-year-old male was also on scene and was not injured.
Detectives from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and the Middle Township Police Department responded to the scene and William Ries was taken into custody without incident for the shooting.
The investigation revealed that the victims were staying in a rear apartment of the property, in which Ries was the landlord, and upon returning home the suspect, Ries, allegedly fired two rounds from a handgun, striking the female once in the chest. The female was airlifted to the Atlantic City Medical Center where she was treated for her injuries.
A court authorized search warrant was executed at 38 Church Road which resulted in the seizure of a .38 caliber revolver, five rounds of ammunition, two of which had been fired, and additional boxes of handgun ammunition.
On Dec. 22, Ries was indicted by a grand jury of the Cape May County Superior Court for two counts of attempted murder, a crime of the first degree, one count of aggravated assault, a crime of the second degree, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, a crime of the second degree.
Prosecutor Taylor advises that individuals charged with first degree crimes could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in State Prison and crimes of the second degree could carry the penalty of 5-10 years in State prison.
Prosecutor Taylor continues to urge the citizens of Cape May County to report any information regarding illegal activity and or any criminal activity within the community and that this information can be reported anonymously through the Cape May County Sheriff’s Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net and click on anonymous tip, or through the Cape May County Crime Stoppers at 609-465-2800 or 877-465-2801, as well as the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1168.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. This report is based on information received from Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.
