The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office has announced two men from Lakewood have been indicted on murder charges after a nearly two-year investigation.

According to authorities, Omar Rivera-Rojas, 31, and his nephew, Alberto Rojas-Hernandez, 19, are accused of killing Domingo Merino-Rafael, 33, of Lakewood, following an argument in Howell back on Oct. 18, 2019 around 3:46 a.m.

Authorities say following a 911 call, police found Merino-Rafael face down in the roadway on Hurley Pond Road -- just east of Route 547.

The incident was initially investigated as a fatal hit-and-run accident, but it was quickly revealed his wounds were not the result of a pedestrian crash.

Rojas-Hernandez is being held in the Youth Detention Center in North Brunswick, where he has been in custody since his arrest in Oct. 2019. 

Rojas-Hernandez, who was just seven months shy of his 18th birthday at the time, previously waived to adult court to face the charges alongside his uncle and co-conspirator. Rivera-Rojas has also been detained since his arrest.