Tyshaun Drummond, a 42-year-old New Jersey resident, has been handed a 60-year prison sentence for the brutal murder of two men, one of whom was the husband of his lover. The Ocean County Prosecutor, Bradley D. Billhimer, made the announcement on Thursday. Drummond was found guilty of the murders of Nicholas Hardy, 36, and Sergio Chavez-Perez, 32, in October, following a month-long jury trial.
In addition to the murder charges, Drummond was also convicted of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and burglary. The horrific crime took place on December 19, 2021, at an apartment complex in Toms River.
The Lakewood Township police were alerted to the incident following reports of gunshots. The police dispatch provided a description of the suspect, which led the responding officers to Drummond, who was found near the apartment complex. When Drummond refused to comply with the officers’ orders to lie on the ground, he was subdued with a stun gun. The arrest was recorded on police body camera footage, which was later shown in court.
During his arrest, Drummond chillingly confessed to the police, stating, “I shot everybody in the face.” Upon entering the apartment, the police discovered the bodies of the victims, each shot in the head.
The trial revealed a complex web of relationships and events leading up to the murders. Chavez-Perez’s wife, Araceli Perez, was having an affair with Drummond. The night before the murder, Chavez-Perez had ominously declared, “Tonight, somebody’s going to die,” according to Perez’s testimony.
Perez also testified that her husband had left the house with a knife, prompting her to send a warning text to Drummond. She further revealed the intimate nature of her relationship with Drummond, sharing text messages they had exchanged, including one where she referred to Drummond as her “future husband.”
Drummond had also advised Perez to delete their text messages to prevent her husband from discovering their affair. A GoFundMe page set up for Chavez-Perez, a father of three, stated, “No money can bring him back, but with their breadwinner gone, the least we can do as a community is help them get over this shock by covering funeral expenses, and other basic needs for the family.”