Domestic Turmoil Exposed: Police Reports Reveal Multiple Calls to New Milford Homicide Scene Days Before Fatal Stabbing
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
New Milford NJ, Tragedy Strikes: Bergen County’s First Homicide. The quiet New Jersey town of New Milford was rocked by Bergen County’s first reported homicide of the year in September, when 24-year-old Mateo Ocho-Gonzalez was fatally stabbed in his home on River Road. The subsequent investigation led authorities to charge 25-year-old Justin Wilhelm of Morris County with the killing.
However, as the murder investigation unfolds, recently obtained police reports reveal a disturbing pattern of escalating unrest at the victim’s residence in the days immediately preceding the fatal stabbing.
Multiple Police Dispatches: A Scene of Growing Conflict
Police reports acquired through the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) show that New Milford officers were dispatched to the River Road home on multiple occasions in the days leading up to the Sept. 25 killing:
September 21st: Family Dispute and Arrest
- 3:19 p.m.: Officers responded to reports of a family dispute between a mother and son.
- The Incident: Gonzalez was allegedly verbally hostile toward his mother and younger brother and reportedly locked his mother in a room.
- Arrest & Charges: Gonzalez was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and resisting arrest. He was taken to New Bridge Medical Center for evaluation before being released.
September 22nd: Sibling Conflict Escalates
- 11:36 a.m.: Police were called again for a family dispute, this time by Gonzalez’s younger brother, who accused his older sibling of locking him out of the house and shoving him out the front door.
- Police Response: Officers managed to de-escalate the situation, with no arrests made. The younger brother expressed concern to police about his brother’s drug use.
September 22nd: Criminal Mischief and Second Arrest
- 8:41 p.m.: A 911 call reported a dispute leading to the criminal mischief of a vehicle.
- The Incident: A 29-year-old victim from New York told police that Gonzalez allegedly smashed his car window with a fire extinguisher during an argument over an expensive black Amiri jacket.
- Second Arrest: Gonzalez was arrested again, this time charged with simple assault and criminal mischief, and was once more taken to the medical center for treatment.
Police records also noted that calls were made to the home earlier in the week, on September 18th, regarding drug use and a separate, unfounded robbery report.
The Homicide Suspect: Not Mentioned in Previous Reports
While the police reports paint a picture of intense domestic turmoil involving the victim, there is no mention of the charged suspect, Justin Wilhelm, in any of the previous police responses.
Wilhelm was charged with the homicide of Ocho-Gonzalez, which occurred around 3 a.m. on September 25th. He was awaiting his detention hearing in Bergen County as of the last update.
The detailed police reports raise critical questions about the level of intervention required at the residence in the days before the tragic loss of life and highlight the frequent link between domestic disturbances and serious crime. The New Milford Police Department declined to comment on the released reports.
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