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On Thursday, Feb. 29, shortly after 2 p.m., a detective with the Gloucester Township Police Department was traveling on Blackwood Clementon Road by Emerson Drive when he observed a Voorhees Police Officer (K9) stopped in the roadway with his emergency vehicle lights activated giving orders to four men to get on the ground.
The detective stopped to assist the Voorhees officer who said all four men were engaged in a physical confrontation in the middle of the roadway armed with various weapons including a handgun. Gloucester Township police said.
Additional officers from Gloucester Township and Voorhees Township responded to assist with taking all four men into custody without further escalation of violence, police said.
An investigation revealed that all the men knew one another and during this road rage incident two vehicles were involved in a minor crash. Two occupants of the struck vehicle exited and accosted the two occupants of the second vehicle, police said.
All of the men engaged in a physical confrontation involving hands/fists and, at one point, all armed themselves with objects such as screwdrivers, a long wooden handle and a handgun, police said.
It was at that moment that a Voorhees Twp. officer came upon the melee and was able to successfully de-escalate the confrontation utilizing verbal commands and display of his duty weapon, without any further injury to the suspects involved, police said.
As a result of the initial confrontation several of the suspects suffered minor injuries ranging from bruises, lacerations and a possible concussion. One was treated at a local hospital.
GTPD officers recovered a black Sig Sauer P250 9mm handgun and one magazine loaded with hollow point bullets, they said.
All four suspects are from Gloucester Township, according to police:
Oscar Torres-Montano, 18, was charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses;
- Isaiah Santiago, 19, was charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses;
- Gavin Molino, 19, was charged with simple assault, possession of a handgun, hollow point rounds and other weapons offenses, and;
- Emidio Mariani, 21, was charged with simple assault, possession of a handgun, hollow point rounds and other weapons offenses.
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