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Jayden Rodriguez, age 19, from the Township of North Bergen, New Jersey, made the plea on Tuesday, May 1, for the homicide which took place in Spring Valley, according to Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh.
During his plea, Rodriguez admitted that on or about Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019, he entered a Spring Valley apartment building and fired numerous shots at an individual identified as 20-year-old Emerson Jean-Baptiste, ultimately causing his death, Walsh said.
Rodriguez was arrested the following day by the Village of Spring Valley Police Department with the assistance of the City of North Bergen Police Department.
The firearm used was recovered in an unrelated matter several days later by the Town of Haverstraw Police Department, the DA's Office said.
“This guilty plea will hopefully bring closure to our victim’s family and friends," Walsh said. "We must remember our victim Emerson Jean-Baptiste lost his life at the hands of a killer.”
The investigation was conducted by the Spring Valley Police Department and was assisted by the North Bergen Police Department and the Rockland County Sherriff’s Office.
Sentencing on the matter has been scheduled for July.
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