Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Assault on Teen Girl and Killing Man in Atlantic County Jail

Officials at the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office say a South Jersey man has pleaded guilty to two separate charges.

Officials say he committed sexual assault on a teenage girl. Two years later, in jail, he got into a confrontation with another inmate, and that man ended up dead.

It's a story about a man who apparently has only been in trouble with the law for these two incidents.

Guilty charges by Westampton Man in Atlantic County

The Prosecutor's Office says Aahznier Hayes, 24, of Westampton, New Jersey, pled guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter and second-degree Sexual Assault charges. He now faces up to 21 years in prison. Stipulations are that he must serve at least 85% of his time in prison before being eligible for parole. When he gets out, he'll also have to complete Megan's Law Registration.

Here's what led to the trouble facing Hayes:

Back on August 30, 2023, just after midnight, another prisoner, Kenneth Raymond, 52, of Ventno,r was found bloody and unconscious in a jail cell at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.  Raymond was taken to the hospital and later died from his injuries.

Hayes was found standing over Raymond in the jail cell. A witness said he heard Hayes telling Raymond that he wanted to fight him on a previous day. The same witness says he later saw Hayes punching Raymond.

How Hayes ended up in jail

The sexual assault charge stems from an incident earlier in 2023. Authorities say Hayes was in jail for the incident that happened on February 11, 2023.

Hayes met a 13-year-old girl online and arranged to meet her at her home. He then took her to a secluded location where he asked the girl to "perform a sexual act on him inside of his car."

The girl's mother reported her missing, and Franklin Township Police quickly located Hayes' car with Hayes and the girl inside. According to the Prosecutor's office, "Hayes was in the driver’s seat with the zipper to his pants down and the girl hiding in the back seat of the car."

Sentencing for Hayes is scheduled for August 18, 2025.

SOURCE: Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.