FREEHOLD – A 19-year veteran Corrections Officer at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) has been criminally charged with facilitating and encouraging a physical altercation between his son and another juvenile while off-duty, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Thursday.
Anthony R. Sanchez, 44, is charged with second- and third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, second-degree Employing a Juvenile to Commit a Criminal Offense, and third-degree Aggravated Assault.
An investigation by members of the MCPO Professional Responsibility Unit and Hazlet Police Department revealed that in July 2026, Sanchez took his 14-year-old son to a local park for the purpose of engaging in a physical altercation with another teenager. The investigation further revealed that Sanchez actively gave his son detailed fighting instructions during the course of the altercation.
Neither juvenile sustained serious bodily injury. Sanchez was arrested yesterday, Wednesday, September 23, and taken into custody, after which he was released on certain conditions, to include no contact whatsoever with the victim, no unsupervised contact with any children under the age of 18, regular monthly reporting, and prohibition of being in possession of weapons, being present in any public parks, or coaching any youth sports or activities.
This case is being prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Kristen Anastos of the MCPO Professional Responsibility Unit. Information about Sanchez’s legal representation was not immediately available.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.