Carlos Burgos, 19, “gave a firearm used in the murder” to Dylan Rodriguez, 18, who hid it in a private home, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
That gun was recovered during what investigators told Daily Voice were no fewer than a half-dozen warranted searches.
Burgos, of 411 Martin Luther King Boulevard in Jersey City, was charged with murder, felony murder, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and weapons possession in the cold-blooded killing of David Duque-Soto at the victim’s home.
Charged with the same crimes were three North Bergen men:
- Raul Torres, also 19, of 1116 7th Street;
- David Martinez, 18, of 9022 Fulton Avenue;
- Lexie Burke, 20, of 8615 Durham Avenue.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, was charged with hindering apprehension, illegal weapons possession and pot possession. A judge ordered him released Monday night pending further court action.
MUGSHOTS: Courtesy BERGEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR
The quartet went to Duque-Soto’s house Saturday night armed and “intending to steal drugs and money,” said Musella, the county prosecutor.
One drove the getaway car while the three others went inside, authorities told Daily Voice.
In an odd twist, a companion who'd been in the bathroom when the killing occurred hopped a bus to West New York, where he ran into police headquarters to report the killing, authorities told Daily Voice.
A responding ALS unit pronounced the victim dead of gunshot wounds at the duplex apartment shortly after getting the 8 p.m. call from their colleagues.
Painstaking work by several of Musella’s detectives, assisted by Fairview police, led to Monday's arrests barely 48 hours after Duque-Soto was slain.
Investigators canvassed the area and found security video that showed two distinctive vehicles that helped them develop suspects.
A series of interviews that followed in Fairview and North Bergen led to the warranted searches.
All five defendants remained held in Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny pending detention hearings in Hackensack --
Burgos and Burke after being arrested in West New York, Martinez and Rodriguez after being arrested in North Bergen and Torres after being taken into custody at the Musella’s Paramus office.
******
ALSO SEE: Thanks to a neighbor, a few young children and Englewood police, a city woman was expected to survive after being stabbed several times Monday night by her ex-boyfriend, authorities said.
******
Click here to follow Daily Voice Highland Lakes-Vernon and receive free news updates.