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Jayden Rodriguez, age 19, from the Township of North Bergen, New Jersey, was sentenced to 19 years in state prison to be followed by a period of five years post-release supervision, said Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Walsh.
The crime took place on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019, when Rodriguez entered a Spring Valley apartment building and proceeded to fire numerous shots at an individual identified as Emerson Jean-Baptiste, ultimately causing his death, the DA's Office 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 in the crime was recovered in an unrelated matter several days later by the Town of Haverstraw Police Department, police said.
“The defendant's actions on that day ended the life of one man and forever changed the lives of his family and loved ones," Walsh said. "Mr. Rodriguez is being held accountable for committing this senseless act of violence and will be serving a lengthy prison term as punishment."
Rodriguez, who was 17 years old at the time, was eligible for designation as a youthful offender at the time of his sentencing, which would have resulted in a much shorter period of incarceration.
Based upon the nature of the offense, the court declined to grant such designation and sentenced Rodriguez as an adult, Walsh said.
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