It happened around 11 p.m. on Wednesday while the victim was running on the boardwalk in Wildwood.
According to charging documents, video shows five men following the victim on the boardwalk. At one point, one of the suspects, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and red shorts, can reportedly be seen throwing an unidentified object toward the off-duty officer.
The video doesn't appear to capture the assault, but authorities say all five men were seen running from the last observed location of the victim.
The alleged attacker, Isaiah Ortiz, 19, is accused of beating the officer to the point where he was left unconscious.
The victim was beaten so badly that he suffered a concussion and facial fractures that required surgery, investigators said. He was taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where sources say he's doing well.
The criminal complaint indicates the victim called 911 at 11:12 p.m. to report he had fallen near Oak Avenue and the boardwalk.
"Stated he had lost consciousness and was unsure how he had gotten to where he was," an officer noted in the criminal complaint.
Officers later pulled over a black Audi and observed five men inside. The individuals reportedly said they were coming from the boardwalk and made reference to "fights" occurring in the city, officials said.
Police later went to the home of another suspect, 19-year-old Elijah Williams. Authorities said Willaims identified four of the other suspects during a formal statement.
All of the suspects identified Isaiah Ortiz as the sole attacker, the criminal complaint alleges.
During a statement, investigators said Isaiah Ortiz admitted to being the only one who assaulted the officer. He was also still wearing the same clothing seen in the surveillance video, police said.
The motive for the attack has not yet been revealed.
In court documents, some of the accused allegedly watched the attack happen but failed to get help while the victim lay unconscious on the ground.
The Cape May County Prosecutor's Officers have charged the following men in connection with the incident:
- Isaiah Ortiz, of Lindenwold, was charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit assault, and failure to render aid to a victim. Ortiz is being held at the Cape May County Correctional Facility.
- Elijah Williams, of Deptford, was charged with aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit assault. Williams is being held at the Cape May County Correctional Facility.
- William Jewell, 20, of Magnolia, was charged with failure to render aid to a victim. Jewell was released on a summons.
- Manuel Ortiz, 21, of Lindenwold, was charged with failure to render aid to a victim. Ortiz was released on a summons.
- Maliky Reyes, 20, of Stafford, was charged with failure to render aid to a victim. Reyes was released on a summons.