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Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office

Essex County Lieutenant Charged With Assault: Prosecutor Essex County Lieutenant Charged With Assault: Prosecutor
Essex County Lieutenant Charged With Assault: Prosecutor David Fontoura, a lieutenant in the Essex Coutny Prosecutor's Office was charged with multiple accounts of assault related to domestic violence incidents, authorities said. Fontoura was charged with aggravated assault, weapons offenses, criminal restraint and making terroristic threats, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said, for incidents that occurred in Nutley between September 2019 and March 2020. The incidents were reported to the Nutley Police Department on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and transferred to Mercer County to prevent any conflict of interest, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office …
Sidewalk Save: Bodycam Footage Shows Mercer County Officers Saving Choking Baby Sidewalk Save: Bodycam Footage Shows Mercer County Officers Saving Choking Baby
Sidewalk Save: Bodycam Footage Shows Mercer County Officers Saving Choking Baby Newly-released body-worn camera footage shows two New Jersey police officers saving a choking baby. Hightstown Officers Daniel Abbatemarco and Kenneth Larsen responded to a call of a choking baby girl on March 31. Upon arrival, they were met by a man holding the girl. Larsen arrived on scene and quickly performed the Infant Heimlich Maneuver on the girl, who was breathing again in a matter of seconds. Meanwhile, Abbatemarco and Larsen comforted the man holding her and a woman crying at the scene. "She's breathing, she's clear," the officers say. "Let's let out a cry sweetheart!" …
Trenton Police Sergeant Exposed Himself To Female Officers In Dept. Gym, Lawsuit Claims Trenton Police Sergeant Exposed Himself To Female Officers In Dept. Gym, Lawsuit Claims
Trenton Police Sergeant Exposed Himself To Female Officers In Dept. Gym, Lawsuit Claims A Trenton police sergeant was accused of exposing himself in front of two female officers in the department's gym several times, according to a sexual harassment lawsuit. The two officers filed a civil suit on Friday, Aug. 9 against Sgt. Noel Santiago, accusing him of sexual harassment and other forms of creating a hostile workplace. The officers also claimed the police department didn't properly respond to their allegations against Santiago, who had a supervisory role over them. Daily Voice reached out to the Trenton Police Department to comment on the suit. The department hadn't…
Former Trenton Teacher, Basketball Coach Sexually Assaulted Student Over Five Years: Prosecutor Former Trenton Teacher, Basketball Coach Sexually Assaulted Student Over Five Years: Prosecutor
Former Trenton Teacher, Basketball Coach Sexually Assaulted Student Over Five Years: Prosecutor A former Trenton elementary school teacher and middle school coach was accused of sexually assaulting a student for about five years, authorities said. Darrell Moody, 51, of Plainfield, was arrested on Monday, Aug. 12, Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa Hilton said in a news release. He was a teacher at Parker Elementary School and a basketball coach at Joyce Kilmer Middle School. Investigators said the victim reported the sexual assault claims to Trenton police in May. Moody met the victim while he was teaching fifth grade at Parker. The victim claims Moody sexually as…
4 Arrested In Trenton Shooting Of Bicyclist: Prosecutor 4 Arrested In Trenton Shooting Of Bicyclist: Prosecutor
4 Arrested In Trenton Shooting Of Bicyclist: Prosecutor Four people have been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting of a bicyclist in Trenton last month, authorities said. Dajon Bethea, 26, of Trenton, Shyheim McMillon, 27, of Trenton, Jamir Black, 26, of Trenton, and Shatwan Liverman, 27, of Suffolk, Virginia, are each charged with conspiracy to commit murder, according to Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa L. Hilton. Additionally, Bethea and McMillon each face a charge of accomplice liability murder, she said. At approximately 1:35 p.m. on July 2, Trenton police responded to the 200 block of Euclid Avenue …
Trenton Man Arrested In Fatal Shooting: Prosecutor Trenton Man Arrested In Fatal Shooting: Prosecutor
Trenton Man Arrested In Fatal Shooting: Prosecutor A 29-year-old man from Trenton has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting in May, authorities said. Jozef Field is charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of second-degree aggravated assault and weapons offenses, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri.  Field was arrested at the Kingsbury Apartments in Trenton on Monday, July 29, by members of the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force. At approximately 6 p.m. on May 19, Trenton police received a ShotSp…
Teenager Killed Trenton Dad Who Tried Saving Kids During Carjacking: Prosecutor Teenager Killed Trenton Dad Who Tried Saving Kids During Carjacking: Prosecutor
Teenager Killed Trenton Dad Who Tried Saving Kids During Carjacking: Prosecutor A 17-year-old boy from Mercer County has been arrested in connection with a carjacking that led to a fatal shooting, authorities said. The juvenile, from Lawrence, is charged with one count of first-degree felony murder, one count of first-degree carjacking, two counts of second-degree aggravated assault, two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and weapons offenses, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri. He was arrested on Monday, July 29 without incident in Trenton by members of the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task F…
15-Year-Old Arrested For Fatal Headshot In Trenton: Prosecutor 15-Year-Old Arrested For Fatal Headshot In Trenton: Prosecutor
15-Year-Old Arrested For Fatal Headshot In Trenton: Prosecutor A 15-year-old boy has been arrested for fatally shooting a 47-year-old Trenton man in the head earlier this month, authorities said. The suspect was arrested by U.S. Marshals without incident on Wednesday, July 24 in Norfolk, Va, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri. He was charged with first-degree murder and weapons offenses, Onofri said. At approximately 12:25 a.m. on July 9, Trenton police responded to the 200 block of East Hanover Street on the report of a sick or injured person. Police found Luis Torres Marrero suffering from a gunshot to his head, Onofri …
Teen Bicyclist Airlifted After Being Struck By Pickup Driver, 66, In Mercer County: Cops Teen Bicyclist Airlifted After Being Struck By Pickup Driver, 66, In Mercer County: Cops
Teen Bicyclist Airlifted After Being Struck By Pickup Driver, 66, In Mercer County: Cops A 66-year-old driver struck and seriously injured a 14-year-old bicyclist in a Mercer County town over the weekend, police said. The East Windsor driver was operating a 2013 Toyota Tacoma when he struck the bicyclist, who was crossing Twin Rivers Drive north around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 13, EWPD Lt. Thomas Meyer said. The teen was thrown from the bike and was taken to RWJ New Brunswick by New Jersey State Police Medevac and Capital Health Paramedics with serious injuries.  The incident is under investigation by the East Windsor Police Department and Mercer County Prosecutor’s …
Camden Man Dies Of Injuries From Trenton Shooting: Prosecutor Camden Man Dies Of Injuries From Trenton Shooting: Prosecutor
Camden Man Dies Of Injuries From Trenton Shooting: Prosecutor A 23-year-old man from Camden died a day after being wounded in a July 2 shooting in Trenton, authorities said on Monday, July 15. Capriest Ruiz was shot early that morning on Euclid Avenue, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office The murder remains under investigation. No arrests had been made. Anyone with information about the fatal shooting is urged to call the prosecutor’s Mercer County Homicide Task Force at 609-989-6406.
Father Shot Dead Trying To Save Children During 'Horrific' Trenton Carjacking, Mayor Says Father Shot Dead Trying To Save Children During 'Horrific' Trenton Carjacking, Mayor Says
Father Shot Dead Trying To Save Children During 'Horrific' Trenton Carjacking, Mayor Says A father was shot dead while trying to save his two children from a carjacking on Friday night, July 12 in Trenton, the mayor confirmed. "A young father lost his life in a senseless act of violence, leaving his two minor children witnesses to this horrific event,'' Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said in a press statement. At about 10:20 p.m., police responded to an overturned vehicle near Garfield and Farragut avenues, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said. There was a white Durango with one male victim inside and two children, he said. The victim, identified as Johny Emmanuel Cruz…
E-Scooter Rider Remains Critical After July Fourth Crash In Trenton (UPDATE) E-Scooter Rider Remains Critical After July Fourth Crash In Trenton (UPDATE)
E-Scooter Rider Remains Critical After July Fourth Crash In Trenton (Update) A teenager remains in critical condition after a July Fourth crash on an electric scooter in Trenton, authorities said. "He is still intubated and critical," Detective Lieutenant Lisette Rios, a Trenton police spokeswoman, said on Monday morning, July 8. The driver of the car that collided with the scooter was not found at fault, Rios said. At approximately 9:50 p.m. on July 4, Trenton police received a call about a collision with injuries at the intersection of Division Street and S. Clinton Avenue, they said.  "Patrol Bureau officers responded to the scene and observed an olde…
Transportation Worker Dies Days After Quadruple Trenton Shooting: Campaign, Prosecutor Transportation Worker Dies Days After Quadruple Trenton Shooting: Campaign, Prosecutor
Transportation Worker Dies Days After Quadruple Trenton Shooting: Campaign, Prosecutor One of four victims of a quadruple shooting in Trenton died days later, officials announced. Samier Vincent, 30, of Trenton, died on Thursday, June 27 — four days after an early morning shooting in Trenton, according to the Mercer County Prosecuror's Office. A story on the shooting by Peterson's Breaking News of Trenton can be found by clicking here.  The 1:33 a.m. shooting near Walnut Avenue and Monmouth Street left four people injured, two of them in critical condition, according to a story by Peterson's Breaking News of Trenton.  No arrests had been made in the shooting. The …
NJ Restaurant Owner Preyed On Job Applicant, Sexually Assaulted Others, Authorities Say NJ Restaurant Owner Preyed On Job Applicant, Sexually Assaulted Others, Authorities Say
Gerald Araya Arrested For Sexual Assault In Trenton The owner of three restaurants in Trenton has been arrested for multiple sexual assaults including a job applicant, authorities said. Gerald Araya, 44, of Ewing, was arrested in Trenton on Wednesday, June 19, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri, Lawrence Township Police Chief Christopher Longo and Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson.  He is charged with five counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, one count of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of first-degree kidnapping, two counts o…
Killer Who Aimed To 'Flood Streets' Of Trenton With Heroin Gets 17-Year Minimum In Fed Pen Killer Who Aimed To 'Flood Streets' Of Trenton With Heroin Gets 17-Year Minimum In Fed Pen
Killer Who Aimed To 'Flood Streets' Of Trenton With Heroin Gets 17-Year Minimum In Fed Pen 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Jerome “Righteous" Roberts will have to see his 70th birthday before he can taste freedom again. A convicted killer who aimed to "flood the streets" of Trenton with a "motherlode" of heroin, Roberts, 53, was sentenced this week to what will be a minimum of 17 years in federal prison for his role in a drug ring that once dominated the capital city. Federal jurors had convicted Roberts, of Delran, of drug conspiracy following a three-week trial in Trenton in October 2021. U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner, in turn, sentenced the Bloods gang leader to a 245-month prison sentence t…
Deadly Double-Shooting Investigated In Trenton Deadly Double-Shooting Investigated In Trenton
Deadly Double-Shooting Investigated In Trenton A deadly double-shooting is under investigation in Trenton, authorities said. Jonathan Applegate, of Trenton, was killed in the shooting on Tuesday, June 11, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri.  His age was not released. The Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department are investigating the shooting. At approximately 5:10 p.m., Trenton patrol units responded to Stuyvesant Avenue and Hoffman Avenue on a shot spotter activation. While on scene, officers learned that two gunshot victims had arrived at Capital Health Regional Medic…
24 Condos Destroyed By Fire In East Windsor 24 Condos Destroyed By Fire In East Windsor
East Windsor Fire Destroys 24 Condos Residents of 24 condominiums in East Windsor were displaced by a fire, authorities said. On Monday, June 10, at approximately 4:30 p.m., East Windsor Township police responded to a reported structure fire at building K of the American Way Condos on Avon Drive.  The first responding police officers observed heavy smoke and flames coming from the second floor on the north end of the structure. Police evacuated all residents from the K building. Firefighters from more than a dozen area fire departments responded.  Each of the 24 condos within the K building sustained fire and/or w…
Pedestrian, 26, Killed In Trenton Hit-Run Crash, Police Seek Tips Pedestrian, 26, Killed In Trenton Hit-Run Crash, Police Seek Tips
Pedestrian, 26, Killed In Trenton Hit-Run Crash, Police Seek Tips Trenton police seek the public's help in locating a Toyota that was involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash with a pedestrian. On Saturday, June 1, at approximately 4:30 a.m. Trenton Emergency Medical Services were dispatched to a person down on the street in the 800 block of S. Clinton Ave.  ALSO SEE: Mom Of Woman Killed In Trenton Hit-Run Lost 3 Kids In 5-Year Span The victim sustained multiple fractures and other serious injuries and died of cardiac arrest, Trenton police said. The victim was identified as 26-year-old Shydasia Merrick of Trenton. The vehicle has been ident…
Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings
Reign Of Terror: NJ Ex-Con Gets 16 Years For Series Of Armed Robberies, Carjackings 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A 25-year-old ex-con from Trenton who’s already served 2½ years in state prison is headed to federal prison for 16 more for a string of gunpoint carjackings and robberies. Joshua M. Perez was one of three armed robbers who commited a Oct. 10 carjacking, another on Dec. 5 and the robbery later than second night of a local gas station, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Surveillance cameras captured video of Perez and two other robbers emerging from a sedan, pointing handguns at occupants of another vehicle, Sellinger said. They then fled with money and cellphones in the victims…
Teenager Killed In Double-Shooting In Trenton: Prosecutor Teenager Killed In Double-Shooting In Trenton: Prosecutor
Teenager Killed In Double-Shooting In Trenton: Prosecutor A teenager was killed and a second teen was wounded in a shooting in Trenton on Sunday evening, May 19, authorities said. Stephon Fisher, 18, of Trenton, was pronounced dead shortly after the 5:50 p.m. shooting, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri. Trenton police received a ShotSpotter activation for multiple rounds and several calls reporting two individuals shot at 2 Kingsbury Square, Onofri said. Both shooting victims were transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center.  The second 18-year-old victim, also a city resident, sustained three gunshot wounds a…
'You Will All Die': FBI Seizes NJ Man Who Threatened White Massacre 'You Will All Die': FBI Seizes NJ Man Who Threatened White Massacre
'You Will All Die': FBI Seizes NJ Man Who Threatened White Massacre FBI agents in New Jersey seized a discharged U.S. Marine who they said publicly threatened to massacre as many white people as he could. "I want to erase them," Joshua Cobb, 23, posted on social media, according to U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger. "All of them really, but in this case as many as I possibly can." Interviewed by law enforcement, Cobb admitted writing the posts and even identified what he'd considered potential targets, including a Jersey Strong gym and an Aldi grocery store in Robbinsville, the U.S. attorney said on Monday, May 13. He "also discussed hi…
Double-Shooting, Crash Leave Pair Dead In Trenton Church Parking Lot: Prosecutor Double-Shooting, Crash Leave Pair Dead In Trenton Church Parking Lot: Prosecutor
Trenton Fatal Shooting Jerome Francis Chevaughn Fagan Church Two men from Mercer County were killed in a pair of shootings and a car crash in a Trenton church parking lot on Wednesday night, May 1, authorities said. Jerome Francis, 43, of Hamilton, and Chevaughn Fagan, 28, of Trenton, died after the double shooting, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J Onofri. The heavily damaged car's airbags deployed, the said. The Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department are investigating, Onofri said on Thursday, May 2. No arrests had been made, he said. At approximately 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday,  Trenton police …
Cocaine Worth $70K Seized In Mercer County Bust: Prosecutor Cocaine Worth $70K Seized In Mercer County Bust: Prosecutor
Cocaine Dayron Vaughn Barry Coles Trenton Bristol, PA A multi-agency investigation in Mercer County led to the seizure of 700 grams of cocaine and the arrest of two men from Trenton and Bucks County, PA, authorities said. The cocaine was worth $70,000 on the street, according to  Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri. At about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, members of the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force (MCNTF), with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ewing, Hamilton and Trenton police, found Dayron Vaughn, 48, of Bristol, PA, driving a motorcycle …
Trenton Man, 29, Killed In Pedestrian Hit-Run Crash ID'd: Police Trenton Man, 29, Killed In Pedestrian Hit-Run Crash ID'd: Police
Kenneth Paillant Hit-Run Crash Victim Pedestrian Trenton police have identified the pedestrian killed by a hit-and-run driver on Saturday, April 27. Kenneth Paillant, 29, of Trenton, was killed in the crash, police said on Wednesday, April 30. The crash occurred at 3:10 a.m. on the 200 block of North Clinton Ave., police said. Trenton Police Detective Mark Kieffer was flagged down in the Trenton Police headquarters parking lot by concerned citizens. These citizens indicated a male was injured in the street in front of 268 N. Clinton Ave after being struck by a vehicle that fled, police said. Kieffer requested an ambulance…
COLD CASE: Two Charged 16 Years After NJ Robbery Victim Is Beaten To Death, Thanks To New Tech COLD CASE: Two Charged 16 Years After NJ Robbery Victim Is Beaten To Death, Thanks To New Tech
Cold Case Murder Leroy Julious Ewing NJ UPDATE: Leroy Julious had planned on whipping up a celebratory dinner after cashing a bonus check from his cook's job at The College of New Jersey when his brutally beaten body was found in a gravel lot across the street from his Ewing home. Julious's murder went unsolved for 16 years -- until authorities announced that technological advances and a shared mission among various agencies and law enforcement forensic experts cracked the cold case. Breyon Goodman, 36, of Trenton, and Jason Howard, 41, of Providence, R.I. killed Julious during a robbery near his Ewing home on May 9, 2008, t…
NJ Daycare Worker Caused Child's Nose Bleed In Series Of Assaults, Police Papers Say NJ Daycare Worker Caused Child's Nose Bleed In Series Of Assaults, Police Papers Say
Ekta Dwarkesh Child Abuse Three students at a preschool in Mercer County were hit and grabbed aggressively by a childcare teacher, authorities said. In one of the incidents at the Malvern School on Route 33 in Robbinsville, the teacher's slap caused a nosebleed, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Daily Voice. Another incident caused a visible injury to an arm, the paperwork says. Ekta Dwarkesh, 45, of South Brunswick, is charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child by abuse or neglect, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office. Surveillance video from the school…
Children Of Trenton Murder Victim 'Struggling To Understand Painful Reality' Children Of Trenton Murder Victim 'Struggling To Understand Painful Reality'
Children Of Trenton Murder Victim 'Struggling To Understand Painful Reality' A 43-year-old man has been charged with murder in a triple Trenton shooting that left a 46-year-old father dead and two others wounded, authorities announced. Kareem Pygum shot Jose Alfredo Azcona Garcia on the 500 block of N. Clinton Avenue jus after 8 p.m. on April 4, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said. Pygum also struck a woman in the shoulder and a man suffered a graze to his cheek. The woman and Azcona Garcia were both taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where Azcona Garcia died on April 9. A GoFundMe was launched by Azcona Garcia's childre…
4 Men Arrested In $500K Cocaine Bust In Mercer County: Prosecutor 4 Men Arrested In $500K Cocaine Bust In Mercer County: Prosecutor
Cocaine Bust $500K Mercer County An investigation into cocaine sales in Mercer County culminated with four arrests and the seizure of $500,000 in drugs, authorities said. The investigation led law enforcement officials to the Motel 6 in Lawrence Township the evening of March 21. Detectives executed a search warrant and located William Adrover Rodriguez inside a room on the first floor with approximately 5.1 kilograms of powder cocaine, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri  The street value of the confiscated narcotics is approximately $500,000, Onofri said. Ro…
Trenton Passenger, 50, Killed In Crash On Brunswick Pike Trenton Passenger, 50, Killed In Crash On Brunswick Pike
Trenton Passenger, 50, Killed In Crash On Brunswick Pike A 50-year-old man from Trenton was killed while riding in a car that crashed in Lawrence Township, authorities said. Jean Pierre was the front-seat passenger in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, Lawrence Township police said. At approximately 01:40 a.m. on Thursday, March 28, the Lawrence Township Police Department responded to a one-car crash on Brunswick Pike at the Whitehead Road Circle. A 2003 Suzuki Vitara had struck a utility pole and sustained heavy damage, Lawrence Township police said. The vehicle was being driven by Delva Jonas, 49, of Trenton. …
Triple Ivy-Educated Musical Prodigy, Princeton Queer Alum Trustee Busted With Child Porn: Cops Triple Ivy-Educated Musical Prodigy, Princeton Queer Alum Trustee Busted With Child Porn: Cops
Princeton University Roy Trey Farmer Arrest A man affiliated with several music organizations at Ivy league universities including Princeton has been charged with possession of child pornography, authorities said. Roy "Trey" Farmer, 53, was arrested and charged Friday, March 22 with possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office. Farmer is a 1993 graduate of Princeton University and has been involved with several university-related groups, currently serving as president of both the Princeton University Glee Club Foundation and Queer Princeton Alumni, according to multiple online bios and…
Corrections Officer Shoots 21-Year-Old Thinking He's Under Attack In Trenton: Prosecutor Corrections Officer Shoots 21-Year-Old Thinking He's Under Attack In Trenton: Prosecutor
Corrections Officer Shoots 21-Year-Old Thinking He's Under Attack In Trenton: Prosecutor A New Jersey corrections officer shot a 21-year-old woman in Trenton on March 18 after the rear window of his vehicle was inexplicably shattered, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said. The corrections officer thought he was being shot at, but it turned out that a thrown paint can had broken his window, the prosecutor said. The incident occurred on the 500 block of Bellevue Avenue at about 12:20 a.m. The injured woman was taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition, authorities said.  The incident remains under investigation. No charges have been filed.