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Attempted murder and aggravated assault charges were returned by a state grand jury in Trenton against Najzeir “Naz” Hutchings 22, Kareen “Kai” Warner, 20, and ex-con Tremaine Hadden, 28, all of Bridgeton, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said.
Eleven other defendants were indicted on various charges, he said.
Imari Lazu, 23, of Bridgeton, was previously charged, pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiracy to commit witness tampering in exchange for what authorities will ask be a three-year state prison sentence.
NJSP Detective Richard Hershey had gone to the Harding Woods mobile home park in Pittsgrove (Salem County) on April 25, 2020 to investigate a home invasion involving five women accused of forcing their way into a trailer and assaulting the owner – breaking a rib and lacerating a lung -- while stealing her iPhone.
Sometime after Hershey arrived, a hostile group of 15 people connected to the female suspects pulled up in a caravan of five vehicles, Grewal said.
Hershey identified himself as a law enforcement officer, after which Hutchings, Warner, and Hadden opened fire from two cars, wounding him in the upper leg, the attorney general said.
The detective returned fire, forcing the defendants to flee, he said.
Hershey later underwent surgery at Cooper University Hospital in Camden. He later received several honors for his bravery.
A member of the caravan was treated at the hospital for a gunshot wound in her leg and was released, they said, adding that she wasn’t charged.
“Detective Hershey was courageously responding to a dangerous situation in the midst of the COVID pandemic when he was shot in an ambush,” Grewal said Monday.
“I promised at the outset of this investigation to bring all of those responsible to justice,” the attorney general said. “As I said at the time, we won’t tolerate mob violence and we certainly won’t tolerate an attempt to murder a police officer.”
“The brazen ambush attack of Detective Richard Hershey was a violent assault that put the lives of innocent bystanders in jeopardy,” NJSP Supt. Col. Patrick J. Callahan added. “Detective Hershey stood his ground under a barrage of gunfire and his actions undoubtedly prevented this assault from becoming a mass casualty incident.”
Eight defendants were initially identified and captured by New Jersey State Police Fugitive and TEAMS units, assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and the ATF.
The Salem County Prosecutor’s Office charged the five women for the home invasion, while Grewal’s Office of Public Integrity & Accountability (OPIA) charged the three men in the shooting.
Hutchings, Warner, Hadden and Colby Opperman, 19, also of Bridgeton, are all charged with weapons offenses, as is Ashley Acevedo-Diaz, 23, also of Bridgeton.
Melissa Romero, 23, of Bridgeton, is charged with conspiracy.
Also charged with conspiracy are: Hutchings, Warner, Hadden, Opperman, Acevedo-Diaz and Romero, as well as Shakeem Waters, 32, Noel Lazu, 21, and Thomas Nieves, 31, all of Bridgeton, Markese Rogers, 26, of Pittsgrove, Rovell Mcarthur, 27, and Aisha Mcarthur, 26, both of Vineland, and Jenislen Quiles, 21, and Chayana Diaz, 23, both of Bridgeton.
Hadden faces an additional charge of weapons possession by a convicted felon.
The case was presented to the state grand jury by Deputy Attorneys General Rachael Weeks and Abigail R. Holmes.
The investigation was conducted by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, the Division of Criminal Justice, and New Jersey State Police -- specifically the Major Crime Unit South, Troop “A” Criminal Investigation Office, Crime Scene Investigation Unit and Cold Case Unit.
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