58°
Christian Giron, 24, was quickly taken into custody after the body of co-worker Jeanette Willem, 43, was found at Jamis Bikes at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.
Giron is charged with murder, weapons offenses and hindering arrest.
The killing came less than 24 hours before another, this one in Little Ferry, and was the third of fourth homicides reported in Bergen County in 10 days (SEE: Man Stabbed Dead In Little Ferry).
Willem, a Dumont native, was "a longtime and most valued member of our family," Carine Joannou, the president and CEO of Jamis & Nirve Bicycles, said in a statement on behalf of the company.
"Jamis Bikes is a small and tight-knit group and Jeanette has been a dedicated member of our team for 20 years,” the statement added. “We are devastated....Please respect the privacy of her friends and family at this time as we grieve the loss of a truly special and beloved mother, wife, daughter and friend.”
Acquired two decades ago by its parent company, Jamis is the oldest family-owned bicycle company in the U.S.
It was founded in 1937 by George Joannou soon after he emigrated to the United States from Cyprus. His daughter later took over the business from her father, who died in 1981.
Willem’s body was found at the facility on dead-ended Ludlow Avenue, near the Rockleigh border, Musella confirmed.
Northvale police, who were first on the scene, searched the building "to make sure there was no ongoing threat to the community," the prosecutor said.
Musell’as Major Crimes Unit investigated along with Northvale police and the Bergen County Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification, which collected evidence.
An ALS chief made the death pronouncement and the scene was cleared soon after.
Giron -- who comes from a military family -- remained held in the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.
Click here to follow Daily Voice North Hunterdon and receive free news updates.
