Identity Released in Fatal Guttenberg Police Encounter

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has identified the individual involved in the November 12, 2024, police pursuit in Guttenberg that resulted in a fatality. The decedent has been identified as Brandon Lee Ortega, 26, of Mexia, Texas.

According to the preliminary investigation, officers responded to a 911 call at 11:02 p.m. reporting a disturbance near 68th Street and Bellevue Avenue. Police were informed that the individual involved, later identified as Ortega, was armed with a firearm.

Officer Sauerwald located Ortega near 7000 John F. Kennedy Boulevard East, where a foot chase ensued. Ortega climbed over a railing adjacent to a building and fell down an embankment to his death. Emergency services pronounced him deceased at the scene, and a firearm was recovered from his person.

Under New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2)), all deaths during encounters with law enforcement are investigated by the Attorney General’s Office and reviewed by a grand jury to determine if an indictment is warranted.

The investigation is ongoing, and no additional details have been released.