A Millville man is in jail after he allegedly shot a teen who came to his home to fight his son.
"I just want to let you guys know my son was being threatened to be murdered," Raul Elias said during his first appearance this week. "The school principal knows this."
The judge told Elias to stop talking, since anything said in court can be used against him.
The 17-year-old victim and another teen came to Elias' home April 7, to fight his teenage son, Assistant Prosecutor Jessica Klavens told the judge.
Elias, 34, then allegedly shot the 17-year-old in the leg.
A spent shell casing and live round were found at the home, according to the affidavit of probable cause obtained by BreakingAC.
Also found at the home was cocaine and drug paraphernalia with Elias' Social Security card and birth certificate, a second affidavit states.
Elias then evaded police and was eventually arrested in Ohio, Klavens said.
"I had to move my son out of state," Elias started to say, before he was cut off by his defense attorney.
"Please don't talk about the case," she advised him.
Later, Elias insisted the evidence against him is "just hearsay."
At that point, the judge interrupted him.
"Your attorney has instructed you," Judge Cristen D'Arrigo said. "Everything you say is being recorded and can be used against you.
"Quite frankly, some of the statements you've made could be interpreted as admissions," he continued. "So I suggest, sir, that you be quiet, listen to what's going on and keep your questions for when you talk to your attorney."
That led to a debate between Elias and his attorney about whether she has spoken with him.
But the judge cut them off.
"Can we stop this now please?" he asked. "You're wasting my time."
The assistant prosecutor said the current offer is six years with a mandatory three years of parole ineligibility.
But that will increase if they file for a superseding indictment, which would include that Elias is a certain person not to possess a firearm.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
The judge told him to ask his attorney later.
It means that Elias is restricted from legally owning a firearm due to his criminal history, which includes one state conviction in a fourth-degree marijuana case that resulted in a non-custodial sentence, court records show.
His municipal history includes terroristic threats in 2018, and violation of a domestic violence restraining order in 2016, records show.
Elias is in the Hudson County jail pending a detention hearing.
