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Krysten Harland Pretlor, had been living in Johnstown, Pennsylvania prior to the deadly shooting on Thursday, Nov. 3.
The Garden State native's extensive criminal background includes being captured on May 18, 2017 after the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Squad received a tip that he was in a local in resident’s home, the office stated in a release at the time.
He was arrested by the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Fugitive Task Force in Englewood, according to that release.
Pretlor still has family in the Englewood area, as Daily Voice previously reported when covering the arrested of his brother Kellem.
He was wanted in connection with the beating and shooting a Mbazulwane Ntando Gxuluwe outside a Family Dollar in Dale Borough, Pennsylvania on Dec. 3, 2016, WJAC reported at the time of his arrest.
The beating involved Pretlor striking Gxuluwe in the head and face and knocking him to the ground, NJ.com reports a spokesman for the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, William Schievella said at the time of his arrest.
When Gxuluwe "got up and ran, Pretlor chased him and fired multiple shots from a 9mm handgun, striking the victim once in the arm," Schievella said according to the outlet.
"After the assault, information was obtained that Pretlor fled to a residence in Englewood," Schievella said in a statement.
Parts of the incident were captured on store surveillance video, according to WJAC.
He pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment of another person, and simple assault in Pennsylvania for the brutal attack as well as the New Jersey charge of being a fugitive from justice, court records show.
Prior to that, he also shot twice at a person in the Solomon Homes, hitting a nearby home, on June 24, 2015. He ended up pleading guilty to charges in that case too, according to TribDem and court records.
At one point it was reported that Pretlor had fears of retaliation upon release, but after he served his prison time he went on probation and unfortunately he continued to commit crimes, including disorderly conduct in 2019 and selling drugs in 2021, court records show. He was on probation for those charges at the time of his death. according court documents.
The Westmoreland County District Attorney Nichole Ziccarelli is involved in the investigation and the state trooper who shot Pretlor has been placed on administrative leave, according to the police.
Pretlor's autopsy will be performed by Dr. Cyril H. Wecht and Pathology Associates on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022.
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