May 25, 2021
See updated MidJersey.news story here: UPDATE: Attorney General’s Office investigating death of man who was involved in scooter accident in Hamilton
Attorney General’s Office Investigating Death of Man Who Was Involved in Scooter Accident in Hamilton
By: Tyler Eckel
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP (MERCER)– One person is in serious condition after being struck by a vehicle while operating a moped-style bike Tuesday night.
The crash occurred just after 9:00 pm. Hamilton Police responded with Robert Wood Johnson EMS and Capital Health Paramedics to Route 33 and Whitehorse Mercerville Road in front of the Mercerville Shopping Center on reports of a vehicle vs motorcycle. EMS quickly arrived on the scene and transported the man who was operating the motorized bike to the trauma center in serious condition. Hamilton Township Fire Police were also detailed to the scene to assist with traffic control.
Police remained on the scene for a thorough investigation into the crash. Route 33 between Whitehorse Mercerville Road and Shady Lane remains shut down at the time of this report.
No other info is available at this time, please check back for updates.
Hamilton Police investigate crash that seriously injured one on Route 33, Tuesday night.
May 25, 2021
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Around 7:20 p.m. the Trenton Fire Department was dispatched to the Lamberton Deli Grocery at the corner of Bridge Street and Lamberton Streets. Upon arrival firefighters had a heavy smoke condition coming from the building. One 2 1/2″ attack line and at least one 1 3/4″ backup line was placed in service as truck companies went to the roof to vent. Firefighters advanced though the front door and quickly knocked down the fire and were able to hold the fire at the 1st Alarm.
Trenton Fire Department fire investigators were still on scene at the time of this report and were also awaiting a State of New Jersey Fire Marshal. All units have returned except for 1 engine staying on scene for the investigation.
No further information is available at this time.
Photos by Brian McCarthy, OnScene News
Photos by Brian McCarthy, OnScene News
May 25, 2021
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–Around 7:50 p.m. the Hamilton Township Fire Department responded to the 2700 Block of Nottingham Way near Getz Avenue for a well involved gazebo fire with exposures. Numerous 9-1-1 calls were reporting heavy smoke and also a grill fire on initial dispatch.
When Hamilton firefighters arrived on scene they reported a fully involved gazebo fire in the rear of the property with exposures issues and possible extension to a garage. Firefighters stretched 1 3/4″ lines and quickly extinguished the fire before it could spread and severely damage other buildings on the property.
The Hamilton Township Fire Marshal’s Office was on scene investigating at the time of this report.
The Hamilton Township Police Department shut down Nottingham Way between Shady Lane and Berkley Street until firefighters could pick up the supply line and clear the street of apparatus.
No further information is available.
Firefighters clean up after a gazebo fire in the 2700 Block of Nottingham Way.
May 25, 2021
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for his role as a member of a drug trafficking conspiracy and his possession of multiple semiautomatic firearms in furtherance of his unlawful drug-trafficking activities, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Jubri West, 21, of Trenton, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to a superseding information charging him with one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin; possession with intent to distribute heroin; and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
In October 2018, West and 25 other individuals were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin; West and others also were charged with firearms offenses relating to their drug trafficking. On Feb. 27, 2020, a grand jury returned a 10-count third superseding indictment charging West and six other defendants with conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and various other drug and firearms offenses. Of the 26 defendants originally charged in the criminal complaint, West is the 23rd defendant to have pleaded guilty. The charges in the third superseding indictment remain pending against three defendants.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From as early as October 2017 to October 2018, West and others engaged in a large drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in the areas of Martin Luther King Boulevard, Sanford Street, Middle Rose Street, Southard Street, Hoffman Avenue, Chambers Street, and Coolidge Avenue in Trenton, and which sought to profit from the distribution of heroin and numerous other controlled substances. Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, law enforcement learned that Jakir Taylor and Jerome Roberts obtained regular supplies of hundreds of “bricks” of heroin from David Antonio, whom they referred to as “Pop” and “Papi,” and that they distributed those supplies of heroin to other dealers and end users in and around Trenton.
During the investigation of the conspiracy, on Sept. 6, 2018, law enforcement officers stopped a green 2002 Volkswagen Passat driven by, and registered to, Timothy Wimbush, a/k/a “Young Money,” and occupied by West, Taquan Williams, a/k/a Trip,” and a juvenile. Law enforcement officers recovered from West’s pocket a quantity of heroin, and during a subsequent search of the vehicle, law enforcement recovered from a secret trap compartment under the rear passenger’s seat approximately 57 bricks of heroin, four semiautomatic firearms – including a .223 caliber assault rifle linked with a shooting in Trenton four days earlier – and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Law enforcement officers identified the heroin as having been supplied by other members of the conspiracy. The charges against Wimbush and Williams remain pending.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced West to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr.; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Sheilah Coley; officers of the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Nicholas Sutter; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John P. Stemler III; officers of the Burlington Township Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Bruce Painter; and detectives of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Scott A. Coffina, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo Onofri; officers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John A. Kemler; and members of the New Jersey State Board of Parole for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
The government is represented by Attorney-in-Charge J. Brendan Day and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to enhance the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of individuals involved in gang-related activities, violent crime, and drug distribution in and around the greater Trenton area. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The charges and allegations pending in the third superseding indictment against the remaining defendants are merely accusations and those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
21-232
Defense Counsel: Anthony G. Simonetti Esq., Hightstown, New Jersey
May 25, 2021
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Trenton Police Director Sheilah A. Coley today announced that a TPD-led sweep targeting illegal ATV activity resulted in one arrest, 33 motor vehicle summonses, and the confiscation of three ATVs.
Shemar Corbett, 25, of Trenton, is charged with one count of obstructing traffic.
After numerous complaints about ATVs and dirt bikes throughout Trenton, the TPD, along with its partners at the N.J. State Police, planned an ATV interdiction sweep. Most recently, TPD had received complaints showing video of dirt bikes and ATV’s riding recklessly near the marina and park on the 1100 block area of Lamberton Street.
The sweep used valuable intel from concerned citizen groups and increased surveillance – including a drone – to survey all known areas throughout the city where ATV and dirt bikes gather and refuel.
In addition, the City of Trenton Division of Traffic and Transportation worked with the Mercer County Park Commission to place barricades on the bottom of the park’s foot bridge to restrict access to foot traffic and bicyclists only.
Director Coley credited detectives with the TPD Violent Crimes Rapid Response Unit (VCRR), under the direction of Captain Darren Zappley, with the investigation. She also thanked detectives of the N.J. State Police Crime Suppression Unit, under the direction of Sergeant Blair Astbury, for their critical assistance.
“We get it: ATVs can be a fun summer activity for many of our city residents,” said Director Coley. “But their use inside the city is illegal for a reason, and one person’s recreation cannot come at the expense of the safety and well-being of other residents. TPD, along with its state partners, will step up enforcement to deter this reckless behavior before anyone else is seriously injured. Fines, forfeiture, and possible criminal charges await those individuals who do not comply.”
On May 21, 2020, Trenton City Council unanimously passed Ordinance 20-39, “Off-Road Vehicle Regulations,” which was then signed by Mayor W. Reed Gusciora. ATVs are prohibited by both state and municipal law on or within any City-owned or operated road, park, or other public space. State law designating these vehicles as contraband authorizes TPD Officers to investigate any person suspected of engaging in the unlawful operation of an ATV and to seize that vehicle. In addition to the penalties set forth by the state, violations shall be punishable by a municipal fine of up to $1,000 as well as confiscation, forfeiture and destruction of the vehicle.
Anyone with information about illegal ATV use should contact the TPD anonymous tip line at (609) 989-3784.
On May 19, 2020 a violent episode on quads ATV left a man shot in the buttocks and one was arrested and a gun recovered you can read about that MidJersey.news story here:
Violent Episode On Quads Leads To 1 Shot And 1 Armed Suspect Arrested
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com
May 25, 2021
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri reported today that an investigation by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force has led to the arrest of a Ewing man for last week’s murder of Katherine Montenegro at a Hamilton Township 7-Eleven.
Joshua Lopez, 23, was taken into custody in Ewing Township late Monday evening by members of U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force with assistance from the Mercer County Tactical Response Team, Mercer County Homicide Task Force and Mercer County Narcotics Task Force. He is charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and one count of second-degree certain persons not to possess a firearm. The prosecutor’s office has filed a motion to detain Lopez pending trial.
On Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at approximately 1:50 a.m., Hamilton Police Division Patrol Units responded to a shooting in progress in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven on Lalor Street. Officers arrived on scene and located the victim, identified as 23-year-old Katherine Montenegro of Trenton, lying in the parking lot near the storefront curb suffering a gunshot wound to the abdomen. She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
As part of the investigation conducted by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force, area video surveillance was reviewed, and witnesses were interviewed. Detectives established that Lopez and the victim were acquaintances, and Lopez was identified as the suspected shooter.
The murder remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call HTF Detective Ahmad Mansur at (609) 989-6406. Information can also be emailed to [email protected].
Despite having been charged, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Previous MidJersey.news story here: BREAKING: Authorities investigating fatal shooting in Hamilton
Joshua Lopez, 23
Joshua Lopez, 23, was taken into custody in Ewing Township late Monday evening by members of U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force with assistance from the Mercer County Tactical Response Team, Mercer County Homicide Task Force and Mercer County Narcotics Task Force. He is charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and one count of second-degree certain persons not to possess a firearm. The prosecutor’s office has filed a motion to detain Lopez pending trial.
