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The 17-year-old Trenton male — whose name was not released — was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, robbery, and several firearms offenses, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said in a release on Wednesday, August 3.
The teen is accused of fatally shooting Oscar Palacios, of Trenton, who was found with several gunshot wounds as officers responded to Priori’s Deli on Hillcrest Avenue in Ewing around 6:10 a.m. on Monday, June 6, Onofri said.
A second victim, Palacios’ 57-year-old brother, was hospitalized and later released, DailyVoice.com reported.
A follow-up investigation found that the teen had entered the deli with a dark mask and ordered food, Onofri said.
He then pointed a handgun at the workers and demanded money before firing at the 57-year-old, grazing his forehead.
A physical struggle ensued as the teen shot Palacios in the abdomen and chest. He then fled the scene on a bicycle.
The teen was taken into custody on an unrelated warrant on Tuesday, June 21, when he was wearing the same shoes — spotted with blood — that were seen in the surveillance video of the shooting.
DNA testing showed that the blood on the teen’s sneakers was that of the 57-year-old victim’s, Onofri said.
The teen was being held in the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center.
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