Woman Sentenced 12 Years for Shooting Man During Robbery at Roxbury Motel

Co-Defendant Awaits Sentencing After Guilty Plea in Connection with Violent Armed Hold-Up

ROXBURY, NJ – A 25-year-old Irvington woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for shooting a man in the leg during an armed robbery at the Roxbury Motel in October 2023, according to Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Roxbury Police Chief Matthew Holland. Auraceli A. Maldonado will serve the term under both the No Early Release Act (NERA) and the Graves Act, meaning she must complete at least 85% of her sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Maldonado pled guilty on January 21, 2025, to first-degree Robbery and second-degree Aggravated Assault. On February 21, 2025, Superior Court Judge Ralph E. Amirata imposed the 12-year aggregate sentence. The convictions stem from the shooting of a 36-year-old male victim who sustained a severe—but non-life-threatening—gunshot wound to his leg.

The October 2023 Incident

Date & Time: At approximately 8:54 p.m. on October 18, 2023, police responded to the Roxbury Motel on Route 46 after a report of a shooting.

Location: Officers arrived to find a male victim with a gunshot wound to his leg. They administered first aid before the victim was transported to a local medical center.

Investigation: Authorities learned the victim had arranged to meet with an “unknown suspect” at the motel. Surveillance video showed a Honda Accord (NY plates) arriving in the parking lot and two people—later identified as Maldonado and co-defendant Jean Omar Rockson, 34, of Orange, NJ—entering the victim’s room. Inside, Maldonado was reportedly armed with an assault-style rifle. A confrontation ensued, during which Maldonado shot the victim in the leg. Both suspects fled the scene.

Arrests and Prosecutions

• Apprehension of Maldonado: She was located on November 2, 2023, in Middleburg, Florida, and taken into custody.
• Rockson’s Arrest: Authorities arrested him on February 15, 2024, at his residence in Orange.
• Charges and Guilty Pleas:
  • Maldonado pleaded guilty in January 2025. Her sentence includes both the NERA (imposing 85% parole ineligibility) and Graves Act enhancements (for firearms).
  • Rockson pleaded guilty on October 8, 2024, to first-degree Robbery; he awaits sentencing. Rockson is currently on home detention with strict monitoring and no contact allowed with the victim.

Prosecutor Carroll praised the Roxbury Police Department, the Orange Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit for their swift cooperation and thorough investigative work.

By securing lengthy prison terms, law enforcement and prosecutors intend to deter future armed robberies and highlight that violent crimes involving firearms will not go unpunished in Morris County.