MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Roxbury Police Chief Matthew Holland confirmed that Alexander Serrano, 33, of East Rutherford, has been charged in connection with a single-vehicle crash that occurred in Roxbury Township on April 28, 2025.
At approximately 5:30 a.m. on April 28, law enforcement responded to a motor vehicle collision scene on Howard Boulevard at the Ledgewood Road / Mt. Arlington Road intersection. A 2003 Chevy Express van was found crashed into a tree with heavy damage.
The front passenger of the Chevy van was pronounced deceased at the scene. The passenger has been identified as Esmeralda Melchar, age 30, of East Rutherford.
Serrano, the driver of the van, exhibited signs of being under the influence at the scene. He was transported to Morristown Medical Center for treatment and later to the Morris County Correctional Facility.
Serrano has been subsequently charged with one count of second-degree Vehicular Homicide, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-5A.
Pursuant to the Criminal Justice Reform Act, Serrano was released from custody on a series of non-monetary bail conditions including Pretrial Monitoring (Level III), surrender of his driver’s license and passport, and refraining from excessive use of alcohol. The next scheduled court appearance will be a Pre-Indictment Conference on June 9, before the Hon. Robert Hanna, J.S.C.
Members of the New Jersey State Police, Roxbury Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit participated in this investigation.
Editors Note: The court’s rules require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
