Death of Bayville teen killed by 650-pound slab ruled an accident

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP (AP) — The death of a teenager killed when a stone slab weighing about 650 pounds fell on him at a Jersey Shore business last weekend has been ruled an accident.

The Ocean County prosecutor's office announced its finding Tuesday.

Investigators concluded that 17-year-old Jared Marchiano, of Berkeley Township, was trespassing at Stone N' Counters South LLC when he accidentally dislodged the slab, which pinned him beneath its full weight. The business was closed when the accident occurred.

Authorities did not say if it's known how long Marchiano was trapped before a passing motorist spotted him early Saturday and called police. He was pronounced dead shortly after authorities arrived.

An autopsy determined that Marchiano died of asphyxiation.

The Berkley Little League is accepting donations to defray the cost of his funeral at PO Box 172, Bayville, NJ 08721. His father was the League's longtime treasurer.

A wake for Marchiano takes place Wednesday at the Anderson & Campbell Funeral Home located at 703 Main Street in Toms River  from 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. His funeral is Thursday at St. Joseph's Church on Hooper Avenue in Toms River at 10 a.m.

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