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On Monday at about 6:50 p.m., police officers from Deptford Township responded to Rastelli’s Market, 1276 Clements Bridge Road in Deptford on a report of a 42-year-old victim who was seriously injured during an attempted carjacking, according Chief Thomas Gilbert of the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.
Deptford Township parol officers found the victim in his pickup truck, which had travelled across the parking lot and come to rest after the attack. The 42 year-old victim, Andrew Mosley, of Deptford, was suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound to his upper left leg area, Gilbert said.
"Immediate actions and medical intervention by the responding officers were instrumental in the victim’s survival," Gilbert said.
Those officers, "deserving high praise for their quick actions," were identified by Deptford Police Chief Frank Newkirk as Captain Ian McShane and Patrol Officers Daniel Garr, Luke Ivy and Ryan Osmola.
Detectives from the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and Deptford Township Police Department teamed up and expediently gathered evidence indicating two young men had attacked the victim.
A warranted search of a nearby Deptford residence within hours of the attack led to recovery of the handgun suspected to have been used in the carjacking/shooting and the arrest of a 16 year-old juvenile.
The unnamed boy was charged with the criminal attempted murder, aggravated assault, carjacking, robbery, weapons offenses and receiving stolen property, Gilbert said.
The juvenile suspect has being held at Camden County Youth Detention Center, Lakeland Complex.
On Thursday, a second suspect, identified as Gabriel Vargas, 18, of Camden, was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshal’s Service in Camden City. Vargas was charged with criminal attempted murder, aggravated assault, carjacking, burglary, robbery and weapons offenses.
Vargas was additionally charged with aggravated assault for throwing bodily fluids at law enforcement during processing, authorities said.
Vargas was being held at the Salem County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing.
Acting Gloucester County Prosecutor Christine Hoffman and Deptford Police Chief Frank Newkirk said they are "extremely proud of their personnel who responded and carried this investigation through with relentless resolve. They demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting and serving local residents and carrying out their community care-taking mission. This was a complex and multi-faceted investigation carried out around the clock with no rest and intense focus in the aftermath of the attack."
Hoffman and Newkirk wished the victim a speedy recovery.
"Incidents of this type which involve a wanton disregard for human life will, without fail, bring a full-bore and tireless response from the GCPO and its local, state and federal partners," they said in a press statement.
This investigation remains active and Detectives believe there are additional witnesses who can provide crucial information.
The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office urges anyone with information to call Sgt. John Petroski of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at 856-498-6238 or Det. Matthew Massing of the Deptford Police Department at 856-261-0915.
Information can also be e-mailed to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at tips@co.gloucester.nj.us.
Agencies assisting in the investigation and the arrests include the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Camden County Police Department, U.S. Marshal’s NY-NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, Gloucester County S.W.A.T. Team and the NJSP Real-Time Crime Center South.
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