Upon arrival, a large crowd of approximately 200 people were observed fighting in the street. 

May 26, 2024

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–The Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department are investigating an incident that occurred early Sunday morning in Trenton, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri reported.

At approximately 2:10 a.m. on May 26, 2024, Trenton patrol units were dispatched to the Regal 1 Bar on N. Clinton Avenue in Trenton.  Upon arrival, a large crowd of approximately 200 people were observed fighting in the street.  Minutes later, responding officers heard multiple gunshots coming from the area of the bar and ShotSpotter activated for two separate shootings with multiple rounds in the 500 block of N. Clinton Avenue.

Three shooting victims were identified.  Dwayne Penix, 20, of Trenton, was transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead a short time later.  Two additional adult males sustained gunshot wounds and are in stable condition.

The investigation is ongoing.  Anyone with information is asked to contact MCHTF Detective Ramon Santiago at (609) 508-6623 or Sgt. Roberto Reyes at (609) 256-0997.  Information can also be emailed to [email protected].

Names of the 2024 Trenton Homicide Victims

1. 01/13/2024 Eduardo Lopez-Cruz, 38, of Trenton, Shooting
2. 02/28/2024 Shawn Moore, 45, Trenton, Shooting
3. 03/19/2024 Donnell Jenkins age 52, Stabbing
4. 04/04/2024 Jose Alfredo Azcona Garcia, 46, of Trenton, Shooting
5. 05/01/2024 Jerome Francis, 43, of Hamilton
6. 05/01/2024 Chevaughn Fagan, 28, of Trenton
7. 05/19/2024 Stephon Fisher, 18, of Trenton, Shooting
8. 05/26/2024 Dwayne Penix, 20, of Trenton, Shooting

File photo

A forensic examination of the devices by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit led to the discovery of more than 1000 images of child pornography. 

August 25, 2023

TOMS RIVER, NJ (OCEAN)–Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on August 24, 2023, Edward Lynch, 52, of Toms River, was charged with Possession of Child Pornography.        

This investigation was the result of a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC received cyber-tips that an individual was downloading images of child pornography from the internet; an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit identified an IP address associated with a residence in Toms River as the location from which the individual was downloading these images.          

On August 24, 2023, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department, and Toms River Township Police Department Emergency Services Unit, executed a court-authorized search warrant on the subject residence.  As a result, Detectives seized multiple electronic devices from the residence.  A forensic examination of the devices by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit led to the discovery of more than 1000 images of child pornography.  Further investigation revealed that Lynch was the individual responsible for downloading the child pornography in question. Lynch was taken into custody at his residence without incident; he was thereafter transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.          

Prosecutor Billhimer commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department, Toms River Township Police Department Emergency Services Unit, and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, for their collaborative assistance in connection with this investigation leading to Lynch’s arrest.            

The charges referenced above are merely accusations and the press and public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. R.P.C.  3.6(b)(6).      

July 19, 2023

TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was sentenced yesterday to 25-Years (300 months) in prison for heroin trafficking and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Timothy Wimbush, aka “Young Money,” 33, was convicted in October 2021 of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, distribution of heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of his heroin distribution, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon following a three-week trial before former Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson. Following Judge Wolfson’s retirement, the case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner, who imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in the case and the evidence at trial:

In 2018, defendant Wimbush and others participated in a large drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in various areas of Trenton, which sought to profit from the distribution of heroin.

On Sept. 6, 2018, law enforcement officers stopped Wimbush’s green 2002 Volkswagen Passat after observing Wimbush’s co-defendant, Taquan Williams, a previously convicted felon, enter the vehicle carrying a yellow plastic bag believed to contain contraband. The Passat was driven by and registered to Wimbush, who also was a previously convicted felon. During a subsequent search of Wimbush’s vehicle, law enforcement recovered from a secret trap compartment installed under the rear passenger’s seat 57 bricks of heroin, four semiautomatic firearms – including a .223 caliber assault rifle linked to a shooting in Trenton four days earlier – hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and the yellow plastic bag that Williams had carried into the vehicle moments earlier. Law enforcement discovered in the yellow bag two boxes of .45 caliber ammunition and three .45 caliber firearm magazines, which matched one of the semiautomatic firearms also found in the trap compartment. One of the firearms concealed in Wimbush’s secret trap compartment was used in connection with a violent and reckless shooting in the City of Trenton. On Sept. 2, 2018, four of Wimbush’s associates, including one of his co-defendants, one of his relatives, and one of co-defendant Williams’s relatives, were shot in a drive-by shooting in the area of Stuyvesant and Bryn Mawr Avenues in Trenton. Evidence also showed that a likely retaliatory shooting in the area of Lee and West State Street occurred shortly thereafter the same day. Ballistics analysis of a shell casing recovered from the site of the Lee and West State Street shooting conclusively linked the .223 caliber assault rifle Wimbush possessed in the trap compartment of his vehicle on September 6 with the Lee and West State Street shooting on September 2. Telephone communications intercepted during the court-authorized wiretap between Wimbush’s conspirators linked Wimbush and his associates to back-and-forth shootings on and after September 2 and to heroin trafficking activity in the City of Trenton.

Law enforcement identified the heroin in the trap compartment of Wimbush’s vehicle as having been supplied by Wimbush’s conspirators, including Jakir Taylor and Tacques Hall. Taylor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and firearms charges and was sentenced by Judge Wolfson earlier this year. Hall pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and was sentenced by Judge Wolfson in 2019. Wimbush’s codefendant Taquan Williams was convicted at trial of possessing firearms or ammunition as a convicted felon and was sentenced by Judge Wolfson in 2022.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Denney in Newark; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, Trenton Satellite Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve Wilson; officers of the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jonathan Bucchere; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief Albert Rhodes; officers of the Burlington Township Police Department, under the direction of chief John Fine; and detectives of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. 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 Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.

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Defense counsel: Roberto J. Espinosa Esq., Rahway, New Jersey

Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com

Update:

March 1, 2023HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–On Wednesday, March 1, 2023, Hamilton Police were detailed to 11 South Gold Drive on a report of a motor vehicle on fire.  Upon arrival Officers located a white bucket truck and a yellow box truck.  Hamilton Fire Department was already on scene attempting to extinguish the fire when they noticed human remains in the fire on top of the box truck.  The deceased was identified as Dean Kitchin, 52 years of age from Cherry Hill.  Further investigation determined Kitchin was working on fiber optic lines in the area and was electrocuted by a live power line.Investigators have no indication that foul play was involved.  The victim was transported to the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Robert Whartenby of the Hamilton Police Division Criminal Investigations Section at (609) 581-4032 or the Hamilton Police Crime Tip Hotline at (609) 581-4008.

Original Midjersey.News story below:

March 1, 2023

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–Around 1:24 a.m. Hamilton Township Fire Department was dispatched to the area of South Gold Drive for a vehicle fire. Upon arrival firefighters found that a bucket truck was working on utility lines in the area and it appeared to come in contact with live wires. Initial reports indicated that it appeared that the bucket truck fell over and landed on a box truck. PSE&G was called to rush to the scene to cut the power. Power was cut to the area by PSE&G crews around 2:24 a.m.

A spokesperson from OSHA has confirmed a worker fatality.

Details are still sketchy at this time. MidJersey.news has reached out to Hamilton Township Police Department for official information. Once information becomes available the story will be updated.

December 8, 2024

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–The Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department are investigating an early morning shooting in Trenton that left one man dead, Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa L. Hilton reported.

At approximately 1 a.m. Sunday morning, December 8, Trenton police responded to Al Lee’s Bar and Lounge on Dickinson Street on a shooting in progress.  Upon arrival, officers were advised there was an argument outside of the bar and multiple shots were fired. Investigation revealed that a 40-year-old man from Willingboro, NJ, was transported to the hospital by personal vehicle. He is currently being treated for multiple gunshot wounds. A second victim was located approximately a block away on Olden Avenue suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim, identified as Kristoffer Givens, 47, of Ewing, was transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead a short time later. 

No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.  Anyone with information is asked to contact MCHTF Detective Ramon Santiago at (609) 989-6406 or Sgt. Roberto Reyes at (609) 256-0997. Information can also be emailed to [email protected].

Names of the 2024 Trenton Homicide Victims

1. 01/13/2024 Eduardo Lopez-Cruz, 38, of Trenton, Shooting
2. 01/16/2024 Stefon Locke, 33, Shooting on 1/16 died 2/8/2024
3. 02/28/2024 Shawn Moore, 45, Trenton, Shooting
4. 03/19/2024 Donnell Jenkins age 52, Stabbing
5. 04/04/2024 Jose Alfredo Azcona Garcia, 46, of Trenton, Shooting
6. 05/01/2024 Jerome Francis, 43, of Hamilton
7. 05/01/2024 Chevaughn Fagan, 28, of Trenton
8. 05/19/2024 Stephon Fisher, 18, of Trenton, Shooting
9. 05/26/2024 Dwayne Penix, 20, of Trenton, Shooting
10. 06/01/2024 Shydasia Merrick, 26, of Trenton (Hit and Run)
11. 06/11/2024 Johnathan Applegate
12. 06/23/2024 Samier Vincent, 30, of Trenton, Shooting, died 6/27/2024
13. 07/02/2024 Capriest Ruiz, 23, of Camden, Shooting, died on 2/3/2024
14. 07/04/2024 Amir Williams, 32, of Trenton, Shooting
15. 07/12/2024 Johny Emmanuel Cruz-Rodrigez, Shooting
16. 07/14/2024 Luis Torres Marrero, 47, of Trenton, Shooting 7/9/2024
17. 09/22/2024 Opium Leverette, 17, of Trenton, Shooting
18. 12/08/2024 Kristoffer Givens, 47, of Ewing, Shooting

Homicide Victims in Mercer County outside of Trenton:

June 14, 2024

TRENTON, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey man was sentenced to 245 months (20.4 Years) in prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than one kilogram of heroin in Trenton and the surrounding area, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Jerome Roberts, aka “Righteous,” 53, was convicted in October 2021 of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin. Roberts was convicted following a three-week trial before former then-Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson. U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner imposed the sentence on June 13, 2024, in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in the case and the evidence at trial:

From October 2017 to October 2018, Roberts and others engaged in a large narcotics conspiracy that operated in the areas of Martin Luther King Boulevard, Sanford Street, Middle Rose Street, Southard Street, Hoffman Avenue, and Coolidge Avenue in Trenton, and which sought to profit from the distribution of heroin and numerous other controlled substances. Roberts and his conspirator Jakir Taylor obtained regular supplies of hundreds of “bricks” of heroin from conspirator David Antonio, whom they referred to as “Papi.” Communications intercepted over court-authorized wiretaps showed that Taylor and Roberts agreed to obtain from Antonio what Roberts referred to as the “motherlode,” a supply of as many as 1,500 bricks – approximately 1.5 kilograms of heroin – in a single delivery. Taylor said that he intended to “flood the streets” of Trenton with this large supply. And Antonio said that “as long . . . as I keep it flowing, we never gonna stop.” Evidence in the case also showed that Roberts personally distributed large quantities of heroin to others during the conspiracy. For example, law enforcement surveillance, intercepted communications, and other physical evidence showed that on or about August 10, 2018, Roberts obtained a supply of 200 bricks of heroin from Antonio, which he redistributed to Taylor and others. During coordinated arrests on Oct. 25, 2018, law enforcement arrested Roberts, Taylor, Antonio, and other defendants, and recovered more than 1.4 kilograms of heroin from Antonio’s residence.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Acting Police Director Steve Wilson; 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 LaChia L. Bradshaw, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.

He also thanked officers of the N.J. 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 N.J. State Board of Parole for their assistance in the case.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

Antonio pleaded guilty to his role was sentenced in March 2020 to 204 months in prison. Taylor pleaded guilty to his role and was sentenced in January 2023 to 228 months in prison.

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.

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Defense counsel: Mark A. Berman Esq., Fair Lawn, New Jersey

Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com

The Summer Initiative returns after a productive 2023 campaign.

June 14, 2024

Trenton, NJ (MERCER) – This morning, Mayor Reed Gusciora joined Police Director Steve Wilson, First Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Downing-Mathis, New Jersey State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan, and multiple members of TPD and NJSP to announce the 2024 Summer Initiative Task Force. 

The Task Force will feature an increase in law enforcement and resources with help from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and NJSP. This year’s task force will feature new endeavors such as the Criminal Investigation Crime Suppression Units and Arrive Together.

The newly created Criminal Investigation Crime Suppression Units will act as an enhancement tool to investigations resulting in real time arrests. Arrive Together, is a program focused on sending a certified mental health screener and crisis specialist, to respond to 9-1-1 calls involving behavioral health incidents. 

“Following a successful 2023, we are excited to bring back the Summer Initiative Task Force.” Mayor Gusciora said. “It is vitally important that our children and residents are able to have a safe and enjoyable summer.”

“The Prosecutor’s Office is dedicated to the Summer Initiative, we will be dedicating resources as well our investigative staff and other staff,” said First Assistant Prosecutor Downing-Mathis. “Trenton is one of the many municipalities’ that the County is entrusted with but we care deeply about this City and we hope that we can have a terrific summer.”

After last year’s success of keeping shootings under 1,000 in the state, this year’s goal is to get that number under 900 with the New Jersey State Police U9C operation.

“So far shooting victims in Trenton are down 9% and in Mercer County down 25% and its because of those partnerships and meetings we have with federal, state, and local agencies,” said Colonel Callahan. “It is our hope that we keep shootings down.”

In addition to the the increase in law enforcement, there will also be an increase in summer time events to help keep the community engaged in safe activities. Residents can expect to see over 70 events, multiple summer camps including the Junior Public Safety Program, TPD’s Summer Youth Camp, and the Summer Youth Camps hosted at Sam Naples and the West Ward Recreation Centers, and over 30 sites with more than 280 employees for our free Summer Food Program.

“It’s not all about arresting people and police work, it’s about reaching out and being apart of a movement to help make Trenton a safer place,” Director Wilson said. 

L-R: Mayor Reed Gusciora, Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson, and First Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Downing-Mathis

June 14, 2024

FREEHOLD – A local man has been sentenced to five years in state prison for torturing and killing his pet cat last year, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Friday.    

Bani J. Mezquititla, 19, of Asbury Park will also have to pay restitution for the cost of the cat’s necropsy and comply with an order permanently banning him from ever again owning, living with, or having custody over any animal, according to the terms set down during a hearing yesterday before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Chad N. Cagan.

An investigation into Mezquititla’s activities was initiated in March 2023, when a concerned citizen brought the body of a dead cat to Asbury Park Police Department headquarters.

Members of that agency and the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Humane Law Enforcement Division determined that the cat had belonged to Mezquititla, who first performed sexual acts on the animal, seriously injuring it. He also later restrained and tortured the cat, resulting in its death.

Mezquititla was located and arrested on the same day the investigation was initiated, then transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI). He has remained incarcerated there as the case has progressed, as a motion by the State to keep him detained was granted.

In April 2024, Mezquititla pleaded guilty to charges of Animal Cruelty by Tormenting, Torturing, or Unnecessarily or Cruelly Abusing a Living Animal, Resulting in its Death, and Animal Cruelty by Using or Causing or Procuring the Use of an Animal or Creature in Any Kind of Sexual Manner, both third-degree crimes. 

“It is virtually impossible to conceive of an instance of animal cruelty reflective of greater depths of depravity than this,” Prosecutor Santiago said. “Thanks to a diligent investigation and prosecution, yesterday’s sentencing marked one of the most substantial criminal penalties for an offense of this nature ever seen in the State of New Jersey. It is the maximum sentence one can receive under the law. We strongly feel that this outcome serves the interests of justice, and hope that the numerous individuals from across the country who have reached out urging us to win justice for Ellie are similarly satisfied.”

This case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Keri-Leigh Schaefer and Sevan Biramian.

Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com

June 14, 2024

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)– The Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department are investigating a shooting that occurred Tuesday evening in the city, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri reported.

At approximately 5:10 p.m. on June 11, 2024, Trenton patrol units responded to the area of Stuyvesant Avenue and Hoffman Avenue on a shot spotter activation.  While on scene, officers learned that two gunshot victims had arrived at Capital Health Regional Medical Center for treatment.  One of the males was treated for a gunshot wound and released from the hospital  The second male, Jonathan Applegate, of Trenton, was shot multiple times and later died at the hospital.

The investigation is ongoing.  Anyone with information is asked to contact MCHTF Detective Karl Johnston at (609) 439-5248 or Sgt. Roberto Reyes at (609) 256-0997.  Information can also be emailed to [email protected]

Names of the 2024 Trenton Homicide Victims

1. 01/13/2024 Eduardo Lopez-Cruz, 38, of Trenton, Shooting
2. 02/28/2024 Shawn Moore, 45, Trenton, Shooting
3. 03/19/2024 Donnell Jenkins age 52, Stabbing
4. 04/04/2024 Jose Alfredo Azcona Garcia, 46, of Trenton, Shooting
5. 05/01/2024 Jerome Francis, 43, of Hamilton
6. 05/01/2024 Chevaughn Fagan, 28, of Trenton
7. 05/19/2024 Stephon Fisher, 18, of Trenton, Shooting
8. 05/26/2024 Dwayne Penix, 20, of Trenton, Shooting
9. 06/11/2024 Johnathan Applegate

July 10, 2024

RED BANK, NJ (MONMOUTH)–Members of the Prosecutor’s Office’s Major Crimes Bureau and the Red Bank Police Department are jointly investigating a double shooting that left one person deceased and one person injured on the 100 block of River Street in Red Bank early this morning. Anyone with information is being asked to contact MCPO Detective Kayla Santiago at 800-533-7443 or Red Bank Police Detective Mike Zadlock at 732-530-2700. We respectfully request that members of the public stay clear of the area, and more information about this matter will be released as it becomes available.

March 9, 2024 Update

The New Jersey State PBA, Policemen’s Benevolent Association Tweeted on X

UPDATE ON OFFICER SHOT – Our officer with Hamilton Police Division is recovering after surgery. He is resting comfortably and has been up and talking today. Keep all Hamilton Township police officers and their families in your prayers.

Thank you for all who have reached out.

UPDATE ON OFFICER SHOT – Our officer with Hamilton Police Division is recovering after surgery. He is resting comfortably and has been up and talking today. Keep all Hamilton Township police officers and their families in your prayers.

Thank you for all who have reached out. pic.twitter.com/2pAp6CiR7m

— New Jersey State PBA (@NJSPBA) March 9, 2024

March 8, 2024

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office confirms that a Hamilton Township Police Officer was shot this evening while responding to a domestic violence call on Orchard Avenue around 10:00 p.m.  One additional individual was also shot. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office will be handling the investigation.

The New Jersey State PBA, Policemen’s Benevolent Association Tweeted on X “Asking for prayers at this hour. One of our officers has been shot in Hamilton Township, Mercer County tonight.”

Update from Hamilton Police:

Last night at 10:11 p.m. Hamilton Police Officers responded to a disturbance call on the 1800 block of Orchard Ave. A suspect opened fire upon the officers as they responded to the call, striking one of the officers. The injured officer was transported to CHS-Fuld and is expected to survive. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office are investigating this incident.

OFFICER SHOT – Within the past hour a Hamilton Township (Mercer County) officer has been shot. He is currently in surgery. Please pray for him.

The officer was responding to a domestic incident Friday night in Hamilton Township was taken to the hospital after being shot, a Mercer County prosecutor confirmed with CBS Philadelphia.

Officials said the incident happened on the 1800 block of Orchard Avenue around 10 p.m. and one other person was also shot.

A second officer is being treated for trauma.

The scene on Orchard Avenue tonight were a Hamilton Township Police Officer was shot responding to a domestic violence call. Midjersey.news photos

Asking for prayers at this hour. One of our officers has been shot in Hamilton Township, Mercer County tonight.

— New Jersey State PBA (@NJSPBA) March 9, 2024

March 8, 2024

WALL TOWNSHIP, NJ (MONMOUTH) —A 20-year-old Asbury Park man was arrested for multiple offenses, including possession of a stolen handgun following a car stop on Route 35.

            On Friday, March 8, 2024, at approximately 3:45 p.m., members of the Wall Township Police Department Quality of Life Unit pulled over Corey E. Thermitus (20) of Asbury Park, who was driving a 2015 Hyundai Sonata north of Route 35. The investigation conducted by detectives on the scene led to Thermitus being arrested and charged with the below-listed charges:

• Unlawful possession of a firearm (Taurus 9mm)
• Possession of a defaced firearm
• Possession of a stolen firearm
• Possession of a firearm while committing a drug offense
• Possession of hollow point ammunition
• Possession of a high-capacity magazine
• Possession of stolen property
• Receiving stolen property
• Possession of burglary tools (sledgehammer and ski mask)
• Possession of weapon (2 knives)
• Possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute.

Thermitus was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Facility in Freehold pending a court appearance in Monmouth County Superior Court. Sergeant Michael Tancredi, Detective Thomas Gavaghan, and Patrolman Ken Bala were the arresting officers.

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all the trial rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and New Jersey State Law.

Local Students to Help Families in Nicaragua

March 8, 2023

HAMILTON, NJ (MERCER)–A new EarlyAct service club for students at Greenwood Elementary School is raising funds to provide nutritious food for those in need in Nicaragua.

The 4th grade students are collecting change to be combined with other funds to support a Rotary International project that provides “aquaponics” kits to help families and schools grow fresh vegetables and fish.

The collection campaign will begin on Monday, March 11 and continue through May 17.

“The students are collecting loose change to make a positive change for others,” said Greenwood Elementary School Advisor John Malloy. “It’s a lesson in geography, science and most importantly, caring.”

The EarlyAct Club at Greenwood Elementary School is the second one to be established in Hamilton Township in the past three months. Wilson Elementary School launched its EarlyAct Club in December and is also participating in the Nicaragua project. Both clubs are sponsored by the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton.

In a ceremony on Friday, March 8, the Greenwood EarlyAct club officially installed its officers – President Brittany Ramirez; Vice Presidents Daleisa Pineda and Mahina Nayyar; Recording Secretary Pann Aung; Corresponding Secretary Naomi Moore; and Treasurer Mimi Hall.

On hand at the ceremony were Greenwood Principal Dr. Nicole Dickens-Simon, Advisor John Malloy, Social Coordinator Aysha Ahmad, and members of the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton, including Club President George Ott and Club EarlyAct Lead Coordinator Kalpana Patel.

“Greenwood Elementary School is pleased to offer its young scholars the opportunity to participate with the service-learning EarlyAct Club in partnership with the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton,” said Greenwood Principal Dickens-Simon. “The mission and vision of the EarlyAct Club seamlessly aligns with our Greenwood Core Values of integrity, responsibility, perseverance, and empathy. We are grateful for the leadership of Mrs. Kalpana Patel, of the Rotary Club and on-site orchestration of Mr. John Malloy, Greenwood Elementary School Advisor.”

A Greenwood flyer announcing the Nicaragua project notes that “every penny, nickel, dime and quarter collected will be donated to this very worthwhile cause. Together, we can help change the world.”

The change collected by the EarlyAct clubs will be included in the $2,500 committed to the project by the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton.

The funds will be part of an overall $40,000 Rotary Global grant to fund aquaponics fish and garden tanks for up to 60 families and schools in the region of Ciudad Sandino, near Managua, Nicaragua. The systems provide tilapia fish and a variety of vegetables to improve the nutrition and diet of adults and children.

EarlyAct engages students in character-building activities and prepares them for leadership roles. Students learn to identify and carry out service projects that improve the quality of life in their local community and beyond.

The EarlyAct program was established in 1997 by the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton, then known as the Rotary Club of Hamilton/Washington. The first EarlyAct Club was formed at Morgan Elementary School in Hamilton and the concept became popular around the world with EarlyAct clubs being established as far away as Australia and Africa.

For more on the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton, visit rhrotary.org.

Greenwood Principal Dr. Nicole Dickens-Simon congratulates the EarlyAct officers and the school’s scholars for their participation in the Nicaragua project.

EarlyAct officers stand with (rear left to right) Advisor John Malloy, Rotarian Paul Neu, Greenwood Principal Dr. Nicole Dickens-Simon, Rotary Club President George Ott and Rotary EarlyAct Lead Coordinator Kalpana Patel.

Greenwood Elementary School Advisor John Malloy swears in the officers of the school’s new EarlyAct Club.

March 8, 2024

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri announced today that an investigation conducted by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department has resulted in charges being filed against three individuals in connection with the November 2023 shooting homicide of Leroy Tutt.

Jerrod Baldwin, 41, of Ewing, and Kellen Dingman, 41, of Ewing, are each charged with first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and first-degree conspiracy to commit murder.  Eric Bell, 44, of Trenton, is charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit murder and third-degree hindering apprehension.  All three men were taken into custody earlier this week by in various locations of New Jersey by members of the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Mercer County Tactical Response Team.  They are being held at the Mercer County Correction Center pending detention hearings.

At approximately 6:30 a.m. on Friday, November 24, 2023, Trenton police responded to the first block of Oliver Avenue for a ShotSpotter activation.  Responding officers arrived on scene to discover an adult male on the sidewalk suffering from multiple gunshots to the torso.  The victim was lying next to a burgundy Chrysler Sebring with an open trunk.  Officers observed numerous spent shell casings inside of the truck.  The victim, later identified as Leroy Tutt, 37, of Trenton, was transported to Capital Heath Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact MCHTF Detective Elijah Phillips at 609-414-2006 or Sgt. Roberto Reyes at 609-256-0997. 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.

Police Investigating Early Morning Black Friday Shooting In Trenton

Black Friday Shooting Victim in Trenton Identified by Prosecutor’s Office

Kellen Dingman, 41, of Ewing

Jerrod Baldwin, 41, of Ewing

September 3, 2024

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ (MIDDLESEX)–South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka announced the arrest of Leonard Jones IV age 50 of South Brunswick for aggravated arson. Jones is accused of setting fire to a home at 155 Old Beekman Road at 3am Tuesday morning after a dispute with his girlfriend. South Brunswick Police received a 911 call at 2:58am from a resident of the home asking police to respond to make Jones leave the home following an argument. As officers were responding a second 911 call reported the house was on fire. The first officer arrived within a minute and observed fire through the roof of the home. Three people in the home in addition to Jones made it out safely.

Officer Nicole Clark, Detective Rick Delucia, and South Brunswick Deputy Fire Marshal Eric Murnieks investigated the fire which resulted in the arrest of Jones on scene. He was charged with aggravated arson and domestic violence. Jones was lodged in the Middlesex County Correction Center pending his first court appearance.

The 2-alarm fire was fought by all three Township fire companies – Kendall Park, Monmouth Junction, Kingston along with several surrounding communities fire department. The Kendall Park, Monmouth Junction, and North Brunswick EMS all responded.

The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to call (732) 329-4000 ext. 7469.

January 17, 2024

TRENTON, N.J. – The deputy mayor of Willingboro Township, New Jersey, and one of his business associates were charged with conducting a scheme to discharge the deputy mayor’s mortgage obligation on his property through a fraudulent short sale, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Nathaniel Anderson, 56, a town councilman and the deputy mayor of Willingboro in Burlington County, New Jersey, and his business associate Chrisone D. Anderson, 56, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, are charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of bank fraud, and two counts of making false statements on a loan application. Additionally, Chrisone D. Anderson is charged with two counts of making false statements to a federal agent. Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone D. Anderson made their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and were released on $50,000 each unsecured bond.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

From March 2015 through June 2017, Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone D. Anderson conspired and agreed with one another to orchestrate a fraudulent short sale of a property in Willingboro from Nathaniel Anderson to Chrisone D. Anderson.

As part of the conspiracy to defraud a government sponsored enterprise to discharge a mortgage obligation on Nathaniel Anderson’s property in Willingboro and to induce a mortgage lending business to issue a new mortgage on the property, Chrisone D. Anderson executed – and Nathaniel D. Anderson aided and abetted the execution of – mortgage documents containing materially false representations. These included that the short sale was an arm’s length transaction, that Chrisone D. Anderson did not have a prior business relationship with Nathaniel Anderson, that Nathaniel Anderson would not continue to occupy the property as his residence following the short sale, and that Chrisone D. Anderson would occupy the property as her primary residence.

As a result of the fraudulent short sale, the government sponsored enterprise discharged Nathaniel Anderson’s mortgage obligation and suffered a loss of over $120,000, and the victim lender issued a new mortgage on the property. During a May 2022 interview, Chrisone D. Anderson made false statements to an agent of the FBI concerning the short sale.

The charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, bank fraud, and making false statements on a loan application are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $1 million. The charges of making false statements to a federal agent are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and special agents of the Northeast Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton, working in conjunction with the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel:Nathaniel Anderson: Daniel M. Rosenberg Esq., Mount Holly, New Jersey

Chrisone D. Anderson: Troy A. Archie Esq., Cinnaminson, New Jersey