NJ man accused of drive-by shootings, trying to kill East Brunswick woman suing him

🔻NJ man accused of attempted murder
🔻Shots fired at female victim’s apartment
🔻Recently filed suit against defendant

A 43-year-old Monmouth County man is accused of stalking and trying to kill a Middlesex County woman who is suing him for an injury suffered one year ago.

Sameh F. Kaldes, of Matawan, has been charged with stalking and two counts of attempted murder.

He was arrested on Friday as police said he was returning to the victim’s apartment complex in East Brunswick.

Cranbury Circle, a tree lined residential road, had seen three different drive-by shootings this month.

No one was injured in any of the incidents, which targeted two different rental units that the female victim had lived in, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

Kaldes was also charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and receiving stolen property.

Police said they recovered a stolen license plate, the suspected drug MDMA and a crack pipe from his vehicle.

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NJ woman recently filed personal injury lawsuit

The intended victim of the drive-by shootings has worked as a delivery worker, according to the affidavit.

On May 18, 2024, she was dropping packages at a home in Matawan, when she was bit by a dog. The incident was documented with a report by Old Bridge police.

Last month, the victim filed a civil lawsuit against Kaldes, claiming personal injury from the incident.

Shots fired into East Brunswick apartment

Weeks after the suit began, new tenants were moving into an apartment on Cranbury Circle. They found bullet holes in their sliding door, windows and walls on April 4, police said.

The unit was previously rented by the female victim, who had relocated within the same complex last summer.

Police responded to a call on Thursday, when the woman was among four residents in their apartment as shots were fired, leaving bullet holes in their window, walls and a sliding door.

She told officers about the dog bite incident and her active civil lawsuit.

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The woman also said that a blue-light laser pointer had been shining into her home in recent days, and showed police at least one cell phone video of such an incident with a suspect vehicle parked outside.

Investigators found a Mercedes matching the vehicle’s likeness, parked at Kaldes’ Matawan home and registered to his mother.

An automatic license plate reader camera showed the same Mercedes in the area of the victim’s home, five times between April 2 and April 11, police said.

On Friday, fresh gunshots were fired at the apartment and this time — a witness saw a dark blue van or SUV leaving the scene along Cranbury Road, police said.

Surveillance footage from the area that day shows a blue Mazda parked in the area of the shooting.

It was bearing a license plate reported stolen the day before, police said, very close to Kaldes’ Matawan home.

Police ultimately searched the Mazda, which is registered to a Bayonne address also affiliated with Kaldes.

The suspected MDMA and pipe were recovered, along with two spent shell casings in the car, the affidavit said.

Police said Kaldes did admit during an interview that he had been returning to the victim’s apartment complex and shining a laser pointer through her apartment windows.

Kaldes arrest history

Kaldes has a lengthy arrest history out of Hudson, Union and Bergen Counties, dating back more than 20 years.

In several cases, after initially facing theft or illegal weapons offenses, he saw downgraded charges at the municipal level.

In April 2013, Kaldes was sentenced to 5 years probation for intent to distribute drugs.
The chief of the East Brunswick Police Department applauded law enforcement’s quick response.

“Officers worked around the clock gathering evidence, following leads, and coordinating with the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and other partner agencies to ensure the suspect was brought into custody safely and efficiently,” East Brunswick Police Chief Frank LoSacco said in a written statement.

“Their efforts not only brought resolution to a very serious matter but also helped restore a sense of safety and trust in our community," he continued.

Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area was asked to contact Detective Michael Napoli of the East Brunswick Police Department at mnapoli@ebpd.net or 732-390-6990 or Detective Stephanie Redline of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-3300.

Anonymous tips also can be submitted to 732-4EBTIPS (328477) or emailing tips@ebpd.net.

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