NJ driver who fled to Mexico pleads guilty to fatal holiday crash

JACKSON — A man who fled to Mexico after he killed a woman in a hit-and-run on Christmas Eve in 2020 has pleaded guilty to a charge in connection with the crash.

Roberto Alcazar-Sanchez, 27, was driving on Cedar Swamp Road in Jackson when he drove into a Mercedes Benz, driven by Norman Shtab, 83, of Howell.

Shtab was making a left turn from a Route 195 exit ramp. His wife, Phyllis Shtab, 81, died several days later. They were on their way to Christmas Eve dinner.

Norman Shtab passed away a year after the crash.

Alcazar-Sanchez was charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver’s license while being involved in a motor vehicle accident.

In March 2021 he surrendered to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Protection Agents in Laredo, Texas, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer. Alcazar-Sanchez is a United State citizen who lives in Jackson.

Alcazar-Sanchez pled guilty to the original charge of knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death. Ocean County Prosecutor Bruce Billhimer said he will seek a prison sentence of seven years.

Alcazar-Sanchez’s girlfriend, Reyna Mendez, 27, of Jackson, was charged with hindering apprehension after giving investigators false information about his whereabouts, officials said.

Roberto Alcazar-Sanchez (Ocean County Prosecutor's Office)

A tough recovery

Norman Shtab, a survivor of a Soviet internment camp, broke eight ribs in the crash and had vision problems from a head injury, his daughter-in-law Michelle Platzer told New Jersey 101.5. While undergoing a body scan, doctors found a cancerous tumor in his bladder.

The couple's dog, a black Lab-mix named Sammi, who briefly went missing from a family member's home while he was hospitalized, died in February.

Shtab started International Electronics Calculators Inc. in New York along with other businesses over the years including World Audio Video, a video store in Howell.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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The Ultimate Guide to New Jersey Brewpubs

From the website that gave you the "Friendliest bars" and places to watch the game, comes the ultimate guide to New Jersey brewpubs.

So what's a "brew pub"?

According to Thompson Island's Article on the differences between a craft brewery, microbrewery, brewpub & gastropub, it says:

"A brewpub is a hybrid between a restaurant and a brewery. It sells at least 25% of its beer on-site in combination with significant food services. At a brewpub, the beer is primarily brewed for sale inside the restaurant or bar. Where it's legally allowed, brewpubs may sell beer to go or distribute it to some offsite destinations."

New Jersey has tons of Brewpubs, some of which have been around for years and some that have just opened in the past year.

Here is a full list of the 21 brewpubs in New Jersey according to New Jersey Craft Beer: