(left to right) Wilson George, Jashawn Smith and Juprie Wadley

Case closed!

The three men who shot and killed 15-year-old Maurice Wimbush-Jalaah at a West Ward housing complex in 2016 have each been sentenced to 15 years of state incarceration.

Juprie Wadley, 21; Wilson George, 21; and Jashawn Smith, 20, have all pleaded guilty in the case. They confessed June 25 to first-degree aggravated manslaughter, admitting they gunned Wimbush-Jalaah down at Prospect Village during the afternoon of June 11, 2016. The victim later died at the hospital from his life-threatening injuries.

Maurice Wimbush-Jalaah (submitted photo)

Police apprehended all three killers almost immediately following the daylight slaying, but George was initially released because he was not in possession of a gun at the time he was stopped. Smith and Wadley allegedly had weapons with them when police apprehended the trio on Louise Lane following the fatal shooting. Another gun was found on the ground on Louise Lane, and police later charged George with weapons offenses for allegedly tossing it before his apprehension. 

A 2017 indictment charged all three co-defendants with first-degree murder and second-degree weapons offenses, but the judge dismissed those counts at sentencing in accordance with the manslaughter plea agreement.

Mercer County Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier sentenced the trio to 15 years of state imprisonment last Friday, ordering each defendant to serve 85 percent of the maximum term behind bars before being paroled, according to his judgments of conviction. All three co-defendants upon release will be subjected to five years of parole supervision.

The three co-defendants have each been ordered to provide a DNA sample as convicted felons and were collectively ordered to jointly pay $5,000 in restitution. The state has requested additional restitution of $2,355 on behalf of Shanell Wimbush, the victim’s mother. The judge did not immediately decide whether the additional restitution would be levied, keeping the matter open for 30 days, according to the judgments of conviction.

Smith had no history of delinquency or criminal activity before killing Wimbush-Jalaah. But his partners in crime have other Superior Court convictions on their records in addition to the manslaughter conviction.

George has been incarcerated in state prison since July 2017 for selling drugs in Mercer County in 2015 and 2016 before becoming a self-confessed killer. He previously pleaded guilty in three separate drug distribution cases and got sentenced to four years of imprisonment last year. Now George is scheduled to be released from the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility on May 8, 2030, due to his concurrent 15-year prison sentence in the slaying of Wimbush-Jalaah, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections. George has been awarded 388 days of jail credit in the homicide case and was represented by private attorney Mark Fury at last week’s sentencing.

In addition to pleading guilty to manslaughter, Wadley on June 25 also admitted he distributed drugs in Mercer County on Dec. 7, 2016. He got sentenced to five years of incarceration in the drug case to run concurrent to his 15-year manslaughter sentence, court records show. Wadley has been awarded 625 days of jail credit in the homicide case and was represented by defense attorney Christopher Campbell at last week’s sentencing.

Smith received 635 days of jail credit in the homicide case. He was represented by private attorney Mark G. Davis at last Friday’s sentencing hearing.

In his judgments of conviction, Billmeier said the manslaughter plea agreement for all three co-defendants “appears to be fair and in the interest of justice.” Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Petrucci represented the state of New Jersey at the trio’s sentencing hearing.

Two eyewitnesses watched as Alberto “Choppy” Lopez murdered 17-year-old Shamere Melvin with a single gunshot to the head, the prosecution alleged Tuesday in closing arguments.

But Nicole Carlo, a defense attorney representing Lopez, said the eyewitnesses are “not credible,” suggesting the witnesses either had “distorted memories” or were intentionally lying under oath to avoid implicating themselves in the December 2013 robbery-turned-homicide.

With the defense and prosecution delivering closing arguments Tuesday, Lopez’s fate rests in the hands of a jury that will decide whether he is guilty or not guilty of murder, robbery and weapons offenses in the drug-related slaying that occurred in Trenton’s North Ward nearly five years ago.

Lopez, 21, of Trenton, is accused of shooting and killing Melvin with a handgun about 8:40 p.m. Dec. 18, 2013. The incident occurred on the 300 block of North Clinton Avenue near Trenton Police headquarters.

“Shamere Melvin deserves justice,” Carlo said, “but not at the expense of a wrongfully accused man.”

Lopez was just “16 years old and living in Trenton” when police arrested him on the most serious of charges one day after the slaying, Carlo added.

On the day of the murder, Lopez was plotting to rob a drug dealer of marijuana, Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo said Tuesday. Lopez ultimately selected Melvin as his victim, isolated him on North Clinton Avenue, pointed a handgun at him and demanded pot before firing a single gunshot into Melvin’s forehead. Then Lopez rummaged through the victim’s pockets for 2 ounces of weed and fled from the scene, Grillo alleged.

The Mercer County Criminal Courthouse in Trenton.

“It is not disputed that the defendant was there for marijuana,” Grillo said. “The only purpose of firing a handgun into someone’s head is to kill him.” Then he showed the jurors a photo depicting Melvin’s dead body, gunshot wound and all. The graphic image caused a minor uproar in the courtroom, bringing at least one woman to tears and causing her to exit out into the hallway.

Two eyewitnesses testified in Lopez’s murder trial, both of whom accused Lopez of shooting and killing Melvin in cold blood. “They were forced to witness a killing,” Grillo said, “forced to shoulder the weight of securing justice for Shamere Melvin.”

Grillo suggested the eyewitnesses were brave for cooperating with the state in exchange for nothing other than the “satisfaction they told the truth.” He said witnesses oftentimes do not cooperate with police for fear of retaliation.

Carlo, a public defender, bashed the credibility of the witnesses, describing them as young suburbanites with close ties to drug peddlers and suggesting they knew more about the murder than they were willing to admit. She said her client was “wrongfully accused because there was a rush to judgment, a rush to judgment by police.”

Grillo defended the credibility of the eyewitnesses, saying their testimony was corroborated by other evidence in the case, including the fact that the witnesses have personally known Lopez for years and circumstantial evidence in the form of recovered text messages suggesting Lopez had a criminal state of mind on the date of the murder.

In addition to Carlo, public defender Jason C. Matey is also representing Lopez, who has been indicted on five criminal charges that include first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder during the commission of a crime, first-degree armed robbery, second-degree possession of a firearm for unlawful purposes, and second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun.

Mercer County Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier on Tuesday afternoon was delivering instructions to the jury, which will be tasked with the duty of rendering a verdict on each of the five counts.

All 12 jurors must be firmly convinced of the defendant’s guilt to convict him.

(From left) Briann Lindsey, Antonio Sloan and Freilyn Delacruz (NJ DOC Photos)

Three of Trenton’s most notorious killers have been sentenced to state prison following their recent confessions of guilt.

Briann Lindsey, 26, of Trenton, is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women for killing her boyfriend last year. 

Lindsey stabbed 35-year-old Christopher Johnson to death about 4:15 p.m. March 6, 2017, inside their West Ward apartment on the 300 block of Clearfield Avenue. Lindsey attempted to clean up the crime scene prior to police arrival and ultimately got arrested the following day on murder charges and weapons offenses.

Christopher Johnson (submitted photo)

Lindsey pleaded guilty May 21 to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and got sentenced July 12 to 15 years of incarceration. She must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence behind bars before becoming eligible for parole. She received 492 days of jail credit and is scheduled to be released Dec. 5, 2029, record shows. She will be subjected to five years of parole supervision after serving her prison term.

Antonio B. Sloan, 28, of Trenton, is serving a 15-year prison sentence at East Jersey State Prison for killing 72-year-old James Wells in a vicious attack three years ago.

Sloan punched and kicked Wells in the body and head in the area of East Hanover and North Broad streets about 8 p.m. Sept. 13, 2015. Wells suffered life-threatening injuries and died 11 days later as family members stood beside him at Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

James Wells

Authorities arrested Sloan at his city residence on Sept. 30, 2015. He pleaded guilty in December 2017 to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and was sentenced in February to 15 years of incarceration to be followed by five years of parole supervision. He received 876 days of jail credit and is scheduled to be released June 30, 2028, records show.

Freilyn J. Delacruz, 38, of Trenton, is serving a 10-year prison sentence at Bayside State Prison for his role in the 2016 slaying of 32-year-old Jonathan Jimenez.

Delacruz and a co-defendant, 39-year-old Alberto Perez, were both charged with murder and weapons offenses on allegations they shot and killed Jimenez outside of his Chambersburg home on Aug. 5, 2016. The victim was a father who left behind three children.

Jonathan Jimenez

Police arrested Perez within days of the homicide and nabbed Delacruz months later in an international manhunt. Delacruz fled into Mexico with blood on his hands but got caught and extradited to the United States to face justice in December 2016.

Delacruz ultimately pleaded guilty June 11 to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and had his weapons offenses dismissed at sentencing Aug. 10. Delacruz received 598 days of jail credit, has been ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution and is scheduled to be released June 20, 2025, records show. He will be subjected to five years of parole supervision after serving his term behind bars.

Delacruz is serving time in the slammer as a self-confessed killer, but The Trentonian could not immediately verify the case status against the co-defendant Perez.

Other violence

A 20-year-old city man suffered a gunshot wound to his right elbow about 4:45 p.m. Friday on the 100 block of Virginia Avenue in the South Ward, police said.

The victim was taken to the hospital by a private vehicle. He was admitted in stable condition at Capital Health Regional Medical Center and told police he was in the area of Virginia Avenue when he heard gunshots. The victim, realizing he had been shot in the arm, got into a vehicle that dropped him off at the trauma center, police said.

Authorities on Saturday did not announce any arrests or release any suspect descriptions in the incident, which remains under investigation by the Mercer County Shooting Response Team.

An early morning shooting in Trenton’s West Ward killed one resident and left another man hospitalized in unknown condition.

Michael Monroe, 31, of Rutherford Avenue, was pronounced dead about 12:40 a.m. Saturday after suffering multiple gunshot wounds on the 100 block of Hoffman Avenue, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

The second victim, a 27-year-old city man, suffered a gunshot wound in the incident and was being treated Saturday at Capital Health Regional Medical Center, authorities said. 

Kathleen Petrucci of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office released few details about the incident via email sent about 6:40 p.m. Saturday. The shooting occurred about 12:13 a.m., she said.

Trenton Police responded to a report of shots fired and found both gunshot victims at the scene. Both victims were rushed to the trauma center. Monroe was pronounced dead at the hospital about 25 minutes after the shooting, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force is investigating the murder, which occurred about eight hours after a wild shootout in the area of Passaic and Calhoun streets injured a city teenager, who suffered gunshot wounds to the leg. Trenton Police said one adult has been arrested on gun charges in connection with the late Friday afternoon shooting.

No arrests have been announced in Saturday’s West Ward slaying as of press time. Authorities have not released any suspect descriptions at this time.

Anyone with information about the fatal shooting is urged to contact the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at (609) 989-6406.

Alleged Art All Night gunman Davone White has been indicted on allegations he pointed a loaded pistol at a Trenton cop and in the direction of numerous civilians during the 24-hour arts festival that ended in chaos and bloodshed June 17.

Davone White

Authorities are still awaiting ballistics test results to confirm whether White fired his black Tanfoglio handgun, but the Superior Court on Friday ordered the city man to be jailed without bail pending final resolution of his case, firmly convinced the defendant pulled the trigger.

“It’s a serious danger to the community — possession of a firearm at a public event,” Judge Anthony Massi said Friday at White’s detention hearing, “and discharging that firearm.” 

White, 27, limped into the courtroom Friday afternoon with his right arm tucked in a black sling, finally appearing in court after suffering from gunshot wounds in the Art All Night 2018 gunplay three months ago. Shackled in chains and sporting an orange Mercer County Correction Center jumpsuit, White mostly kept his head down while his lawyer argued he was too wounded to be dangerous.

“He can barely walk now,” defense attorney Christopher Olsen said, suggesting the court should release his client from jail due to his “severe” injuries and “extensive nerve damage.”

“He is not a danger to the community,” Olsen said of White. “He’s not a risk of fleeing. He’s not a risk of failure to appear.”

Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Heather Hadley said the defense at a future date could submit medical reports and request a new detention hearing at that time. White aimed a loaded weapon and “was ready to shoot it” at a public event that had 500 to over 1,000 people in attendance, Hadley argued. She acknowledged ballistics test results are pending, meaning the state as of Friday afternoon did not have any proof the recovered Tanfoglio pistol was discharged.

After Judge Massi ordered White to be placed on pretrial detention, Olsen said he will get the medical records and file for the detention hearing to be re-opened. White denies firing a weapon at the arts event held at the Roebling Wire Works warehouse in Trenton’s North Ward.

“It’s his position he never fired the weapon,” Olsen said in an interview following the detention hearing. “It’s his position he was shot from behind.”

White says a police officer shot him from behind, resulting in his serious injuries, Olsen said. White collapsed in the middle of the roadway near the intersection of Dye and Genesee streets, and authorities say they recovered a handgun in close proximity to the defendant.

White has an extensive criminal history going back to his days as a juvenile, which includes an adult conviction of third-degree aggravated assault, a violent crime that resulted in him being sentenced March 9 to non-custodial probation for two years.

The New Jersey Judiciary’s Public Safety Assessment rated White as being at the highest risk of committing new criminal activity and the highest risk of failing to appear in court for mandatory proceedings. The PSA issued a “no release” recommendation.

Amir Armstrong

A grand jury on Thursday handed up an indictment charging White and another defendant, Amir Armstrong, with weapons offenses.

White has been indicted on one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun without a permit to carry, one count of second-degree possession of a pistol for an unlawful purpose, one count of fourth-degree possession of a large-capacity ammunition magazine, one count of fourth-degree aggravated assault on allegations he pointed a pistol at Trenton Police Detective Eliezer Ramos, another count of fourth-degree aggravated assault on allegations he pointed a firearm at numerous unidentified civilians, and one count of second-degree certain persons not to possess a firearm stemming from his prior aggravated assault conviction.

Armstrong, 24, has been indicted on one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a silver handgun without a permit to carry and one count of third-degree receiving stolen property on allegations he possessed a handgun that had been stolen. Armstrong, who was shot in the head in the Art All Night gunplay, was ordered to pretrial detention several weeks ago.

Tahaij Wells

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force continues to investigate the shooting that erupted during the early morning hours of June 17. Police shot and killed 32-year-old Tahaij Wells in the apparent gunfight that transpired when cops were attempting to shut down the rowdy event. Wells would have likely been charged with weapons offenses if he survived.

The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office has released surveillance video, body-cam footage and 9-1-1 recordings from the Art All Night mass shooting that injured at least 22 people, including 17 who suffered gunshot wounds.

Hours after bouncers removed Mycol Beckett from a city bar for violent behavior, he armed himself with a handgun and murdered Eric Rue, an innocent victim who had regularly patronized the establishment, authorities allege in court documents.

Mycol Beckett (left) is accused of killing Eric Rue (right)

Beckett, 29, entered Championship Bar and Music on the 900 block of Chambers Street during the early morning hours of Sept. 1. He got into a physical altercation with another male at the bar about 12:30 a.m., prompting bouncers to kick Beckett out.

About six hours after the bar fight, surveillance footage shows Beckett getting dropped off near the intersection of Chambers Street and Morris Avenue from a dark-colored Mazda sedan. Beckett then walks to the front passenger door of a vehicle occupied by Rue, leaning with his right hand on the door frame of the front passenger door, according to court documents.

Beckett then appears to engage the victim in a conversation for approximately 60 seconds before shooting the victim through the front passenger’s window, which was partially opened, Detective Scott Rich of the Mercer County Homicide Task Force alleges in an affidavit of probable cause. 

After slaying the victim in cold blood, surveillance footage shows Beckett running on foot to a dark gray Volvo sedan parked on the opposite side of Morris Avenue. Beckett then immediately drives the Volvo sedan away on Morris Avenue toward Bert Avenue at a high rate of speed in the vehicle that had dark-tinted windows, according to the allegations in the affidavit.

Rue, 34, was found about 8 a.m. Sept. 1 sitting in the driver’s seat of a silver 2018 Kia Forte sedan in the area of Commonwealth and Morris avenues in Trenton’s East Ward suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Saint Francis Medical Center for treatment, where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter, court documents state.

Rue was a regular patron of Championship Bar and would often sleep inside his vehicle until the next day after patronizing any bar, according to the affidavit of probable cause, which attributes that information to the victim’s family.

Beckett and Rue had both apparently patronized Championship Bar during the early morning hours of Sept. 1. While Beckett is accused of getting into a bar fight six hours before the homicide, court documents do not identify the black male whom Beckett had a physical altercation with. Rue was a black male, but he may not have been the individual involved in the 12:30 a.m. altercation.

Through reviewing surveillance video and interviewing witnesses, police were able to identify Beckett as the alleged killer.

As a result of the investigation, warrants were issued Sept. 3 for Beckett’s arrest, charging him with murder and related weapons offenses. He was apprehended Sept. 6 during a motor vehicle stop by Trenton Police, authorities said.

Beckett was arrested at least twice last year. He was charged with attempted murder in connection with a July 27, 2017, shooting that happened in the 100 block of Fairway Drive. A 17-year-old male suffered gunshot wounds to both of his legs that morning and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. The victim told police he was in the area dropping someone off when he was shot. Twenty-three-year-old Edgar Williams was also charged in connection with that shooting.

Beckett was also arrested in June last year for alleged drug distribution in the first block of Summer Street.

Rue’s Facebook profile says he was employed as an Automated Logistical Specialist in the United States Army.

Beckett is being held at the Mercer County Correction Center pending a detention hearing regarding the murder charges.

Trentonian staff writer Penny Ray contributed to this report.

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, sporting eyeglasses and a “We lift Trenton together” baseball cap, talks to a group of volunteers after they removed truckloads of garbage from Sanford Street on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (SULAIMAN ABDUR-RAHMAN — The Trentonian)

A late-night shooting left one person injured and another man dead, spawning a homicide investigation derailing the new mayor’s community cleanup initiative on Bond Street Saturday morning.

Jibri Chisholm

“We are still going to do Bond Street,” Mayor Reed Gusciora said Saturday afternoon after he and a team of volunteers removed truckloads of garbage from nearby Sanford Street. “It got sidelined by the investigation, but we are going to continue on. It turned out Sanford was an all-day job anyway.”

Authorities identified the deceased victim as Jibri Chisholm, 26, of Trenton.

Gunfire erupted in Trenton’s North Ward about 11:55 p.m. Friday on Bond Street near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, triggering a ShotSpotter activation in the 600 block of MLK. Officers quickly arrived on scene and found one man suffering from a gunshot graze wound and Chisholm suffering from multiple gunshot wounds just before midnight, authorities said.

Both victims were rushed to Capital Health Regional Medical Center for treatment. Chisholm, also known as Chisolm, was pronounced dead a short time later. The other man was treated for a non-life-threatening injury, a Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman confirmed Saturday.

The latest homicide in this 7.5-square-mile capital city occurs at a time when the Trenton Police Department was implementing operational partnerships with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office and other law-enforcement partners to arrest more lawbreakers in response to the recent spate of gun violence that has rocked Trenton since June.

Eight victims since June have been killed in the capital city.

“It’s a result of economic conditions and the lack of hope you see in these neighborhoods,” Gusciora said in an interview. “That’s why cleaning them up is so important.”

The City of Trenton under Gusciora’s leadership planned to host a North Ward community cleanup on Bond and Sanford streets Saturday morning. The homicide prevented the Bond Street cleanup from occurring and resulted in the city exclusively focusing its energy on removing truckloads of junk, rubbish and debris from nearby Sanford Street.

“This is so much more than trash,” the mayor said as volunteers, including students from The College of New Jersey, gathered around him off Sanford Street near Brunswick Avenue. “You see the challenges here.”

The lack of jobs and lack of opportunities pushes some residents into “doing illegal stuff” to make a living, Gusciora told The Trentonian. “Once guns become involved you get the turf wars. We have to create better educational opportunities for them and create jobs.”

North Ward Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson and East Ward Councilman Joseph Harrison participated in Saturday’s cleanup. “Never seen so much garbage,” Caldwell-Wilson told the newspaper.

“These problems are fixable,” Harrison said in an interview. “You have to take pride where you live at. You want to see it get better for the next generation of kids. I want to see these kids be doctors, be the future.”

John Harmon, a former Trenton mayoral candidate who grew up on Sanford Street, said this side of Trenton used to be defined by entrepreneurs and working-class spirit.

“It’s not the same neighborhood,” he said, “but hopefully we can turn it around. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t optimistic we could get the city on the right trajectory.”

So far this year, Trenton has experienced 17 killings, which includes three vehicular homicides and the death of Tahaij Wells, who was killed by police during an early morning shootout at a 24-hour arts festival.

TPD in recent weeks has executed a number of operational deployment strategies designed to crack down on those responsible for perpetuating violence as well as those who contribute to it, according to Trenton Police Capt. Stephen Varn, who issued a news release last week saying these strategies were developed based upon the analysis of current crime patterns and criminal intelligence information.

Between Aug. 6 and Aug. 31, officers made over 250 arrests for various offenses, police said. Included in those arrests were nine arrests for unlawful possession of a handgun, one arrest for unlawful possession of an assault rifle, six arrests for robbery, over 80 drug-related arrests, 70 arrests for active warrants and 29 juveniles were taken into custody for curfew violation.

Twenty firearms were confiscated or recovered and over 3,500 decks of heroin were seized during that time period last month, police said, adding cops also seized over 500 grams of marijuana, more than 135 pills and over $43,000 in suspected drug money.

Trenton Police officers were able to take these enforcement actions while still responding to over 8,000 calls for service, Varn reported in that Sept. 7 news release.

TPD continues to strategize with local, county, state and federal partners to develop plans and operations to address the violence, Varn said, adding Mayor Gusciora and Interim Police Director Pedro Medina have met with New Jersey’s highest-ranking law-enforcement officials earlier this month to examine the recent spate of violence that has afflicted the City of Trenton during Gusciora’s first three months in office.

But none of that was able to prevent Friday’s bloodshed.

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force is investigating Friday’s slaying. Authorities as of Saturday afternoon have not announced any arrests in the case, and no suspect descriptions have been released. Anyone with information on the fatal shooting may contact the task force at (609) 989-6406.

Stephan Green (left) and Jibri Chisolm

A convicted felon was arrested Sunday in connection with the death of 26-year-old Jibri Chisolm.

Stephan P. Green, 30, is charged with murder, attempted murder and related weapons offenses in connection with a September 14 shooting that injured a second victim and left Chisolm dead.

Police found Chisolm and another 26-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds on Bond Street a little before midnight. Chisolm suffered gunshot wounds to the head and abdomen; he later died at the hospital. The second victim suffered a non-life-threatening bullet graze to his right hip.

As a result of the investigation, prosecutors say, warrants were issued for Green's arrest. He was apprehended Sunday morning at a hotel in South Brunswick by the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force.

Green was previously sentenced to three years of hard time after a third-degree conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to online court records.

Judge Robert Billmeier sent Green to the slammer in February 2012 after he was hit with aggravated assault and gun charges in 2009, court records show.

The circumstances behind those charges weren’t immediately clear from the court records.

Green was indicted in December the same year, according to court records, and hit with a superseding indictment in April 2011 in which prosecutors leveled additional charges of terroristic threats and aggravated assault.

Green admitted to a third-degree aggravated assault charge as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, records show.

Green is being held at the Mercer County Correction Center pending a detention hearing.

Prosecutors have not disclosed a motive for Chisolm's killing.

Trentonian staff writers Penny Ray and Isaac Avilucea contributed to this report.

Stephan Green (left) and Jibri Chisolm

Court documents related to the death of 26-year-old Jibri Chisolm say he was killed because he owed his plug $600 for marijuana.

Stephan Green, also known as “Chop,” is accused of murdering Chisolm on the night of September 14 after setting up a meeting in which Green was supposed to supply additional pot to Chisolm’s associate, who was also shot that evening.

Approximately one week prior to the murder, documents say, the trio met on Bond Street, where Green gave Chisolm $600 worth of marijuana to sell. The plan was for Chisolm to collect double that amount of money in profit to pay back Green at an unspecified date.

Documents say Chisolm spent all of the money he made from selling the merchandise and had not paid back his supplier by the time Chisolm’s associate decided to also obtain pot from Green to sell for profit.

Chisolm gave his associate Green’s contact information, according to the affidavit of probable cause, and the pair made arrangements to meet on the night Chisolm was killed.

Court documents do not say whether Green initially knew Chisolm would attend the meeting that night. But Chisolm, his associate and Green met near J & J Liquor and Bar on Middle Rose Street around 11 p.m.

Chisolm’s associate, who survived the shooting, told police he noticed that Green was wearing “thick gloves” when they met, but at the time “did not think anything suspicious” about it.

Chisolm's associate drove the two of them to the meetup spot, where Green hopped in the rear of the car, documents say. The trio then drove around the corner and parked on Bond Street. Arrest documents say they sat in the car talking for several minutes before Green exited the car and walked toward Brunswick Avenue to retrieve the marijuana he was supposed to sell to Chisolm’s friend.

Several minutes later, Green returned to the vehicle and asked his customer if he wanted the merchandise to be placed in the trunk. Chisolm’s associate then popped open the trunk and he and Chisolm stepped out of the car.

And that’s when Green allegedly opened fire, shooting Chisolm in the stomach, causing him to collapse in the street.

The surviving victim told cops he ducked and ran toward Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard as Green continued shooting in his direction. While running, he fell, causing injuries to his knees and hands, according to court documents.

After initially providing a false story, the surviving victim told cops he believes the shooting occurred as a result of the outstanding debt Chisolm owed for the marijuana Green fronted him.

When cops arrived on scene that night, they found Chisolm lying face down in the middle of Bond Street, next to a parked Lexus his associate abandoned during the shooting. He suffered a gunshot wound to the head and abdomen.

Chisolm’s associate suffered what appeared to be a bullet graze wound to his right hip.

Police found five .45 caliber shell casings at the scene, along with three cell phones, one of which they used to prove Green had been in contact with Chisolm’s associate within the hours leading up to the homicide.

Green, who is a convicted felon, was arrested at a hotel in South Brunswick Sunday and charged with murder, attempted murder and related weapons offenses.

Mycol Beckett (left) is accused of killing Eric Rue (right)

A city man with a history of being arrested for gun violence has been arrested in connection with the murder of Eric Rue.

Mycol Beckett, 29, is charged with killing Rue last weekend near the corner of Morris and Commonwealth avenues.

Rue, 34, was found unresponsive and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his body in a vehicle parked near that intersection around 8 a.m. Saturday. He later died at the hospital.

As a result of the investigation, warrants were issued for Beckett's arrest, charging him with murder and related weapons offenses. He was apprehended early Thursday morning during a motor vehicle stop by Trenton Police.

Beckett was arrested at least twice last year. He was charged with attempted murder in connection with a July 27, 2017, shooting that happened in the 100 block of Fairway Drive. A 17-year-old male suffered gunshot wounds to both of his legs that morning and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. The victim told police he was in the area dropping someone off when he was shot. Twenty-three-year-old Edgar Williams was also charged in connection with that shooting.

Beckett was also arrested in June last year for drug distribution in the first block of Summer Street.

Rue’s Facebook profile says he was employed as an Automated Logistical Specialist in the United States Army. It’s unclear whether he served as active duty, a reservist, or in the Army National Guard. Attempts to reach his twin sister Erica were unsuccessful.

Beckett is being held at the Mercer County Correction Center pending a detention hearing regarding the murder charges.

Prosecutors have not disclosed a motive for the killing.

Alleged killer Shaheed Brown remains in legal limbo following another mistrial.

Shaheed Brown listens to testimony from New Jersey State Police Detective Joseph Itri. (FILE PHOTO)

Brown’s third murder trial ended Thursday with a hung jury, prompting his defense attorney to file a motion seeking to get the indictment dismissed.

Brown, 34, of Trenton, is accused of shooting and killing 20-year-old Enrico Smalley Jr. about 1:20 a.m. July 12, 2014. Trenton Police were dispatched to the corner of Poplar Street and North Clinton Avenue, where they found Smalley lying on the sidewalk in front of La Guira Bar suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the head. Smalley was rushed to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. 

Authorities filed murder charges against Brown on July 14, 2014, and ultimately arrested him in Newark about a month later. Brown has been unable to post his $1 million cash bail, so he remains incarcerated at the Mercer County Correction Center while his case lingers through the courts.

With another jury being deadlocked and another mistrial being declared in the case against Brown, “The state is evaluating its options,” Casey DeBlasio, spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosecutors Office, said Friday via email.

In a criminal trial, a jury must unanimously agree on a verdict for a defendant to be acquitted or convicted of a crime. In Brown’s case, three juries over the last three years each could not reach a unanimous consensus on whether he was guilty or not guilty of murder and weapons offenses.

Retired Mercer County Superior Court Judge Andrew Smithson declared the first mistrial on Oct. 29, 2015, and he declared the second mistrial on May 13, 2016. Judge Thomas Brown declared the third mistrial on Thursday.

A grand jury handed up an indictment on Nov. 5, 2014, charging Shaheed Brown with first-degree purposeful murder, second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun and second-degree certain persons not to have a weapon due to a prior conviction. Brown previously served time in state prison for committing an aggravated assault in Newark on July 8, 2002, and for committing an aggravated arson in Essex County’s jurisdiction.

Enrico Smalley Jr.

Edward Harrington Heyburn, Brown’s defense attorney, filed a motion on Friday seeking to get that indictment dismissed. If Judge Brown grants the motion, it would exonerate Shaheed Brown of any wrongdoing in connection with the homicide of Smalley. A dismissed indictment would also force the state of New Jersey to drop the case, because it is unconstitutional for a defendant to be subjected to double jeopardy in criminal prosecution.

Under New Jersey case law, a court “should not disturb an indictment if there is some evidence establishing each element of the crime.” Prosecutors say surveillance footage depicts Shaheed Brown and Enrico Smalley Jr. walking together minutes before the fatal shooting, which was not captured on video.

Prosecutors say this surveillance photo shows Shaheed Brown (left) and Enrico Smalley Jr. minutes before Smalley was gunned down outside of La Guira Bar on July 12, 2014.

It is common for defense attorneys to move for dismissal of indictments, but it is rare for judges to grant such motions without the state’s consent.

Heyburn on March 31 filed a civil complaint in U.S. District Court on Brown’s behalf seeking to have New Jersey’s Criminal Justice Reform Act declared unconstitutional and seeking compensatory damages for the CJRA giving what Heyburn calls “preferential treatment” to defendants arrested since Jan. 1, 2017, who often receive speedier trials than defendants arrested before that date.

(From left) Briann Lindsey, Antonio Sloan and Freilyn Delacruz (NJ DOC Photos)

Three of Trenton’s most notorious killers have been sentenced to state prison following their recent confessions of guilt.

Briann Lindsey, 26, of Trenton, is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women for killing her boyfriend last year. 

Lindsey stabbed 35-year-old Christopher Johnson to death about 4:15 p.m. March 6, 2017, inside their West Ward apartment on the 300 block of Clearfield Avenue. Lindsey attempted to clean up the crime scene prior to police arrival and ultimately got arrested the following day on murder charges and weapons offenses.

Christopher Johnson (submitted photo)

Lindsey pleaded guilty May 21 to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and got sentenced July 12 to 15 years of incarceration. She must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence behind bars before becoming eligible for parole. She received 492 days of jail credit and is scheduled to be released Dec. 5, 2029, record shows. She will be subjected to five years of parole supervision after serving her prison term.

Antonio B. Sloan, 28, of Trenton, is serving a 15-year prison sentence at East Jersey State Prison for killing 72-year-old James Wells in a vicious attack three years ago.

Sloan punched and kicked Wells in the body and head in the area of East Hanover and North Broad streets about 8 p.m. Sept. 13, 2015. Wells suffered life-threatening injuries and died 11 days later as family members stood beside him at Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

James Wells

Authorities arrested Sloan at his city residence on Sept. 30, 2015. He pleaded guilty in December 2017 to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and was sentenced in February to 15 years of incarceration to be followed by five years of parole supervision. He received 876 days of jail credit and is scheduled to be released June 30, 2028, records show.

Freilyn J. Delacruz, 38, of Trenton, is serving a 10-year prison sentence at Bayside State Prison for his role in the 2016 slaying of 32-year-old Jonathan Jimenez.

Delacruz and a co-defendant, 39-year-old Alberto Perez, were both charged with murder and weapons offenses on allegations they shot and killed Jimenez outside of his Chambersburg home on Aug. 5, 2016. The victim was a father who left behind three children.

Jonathan Jimenez

Police arrested Perez within days of the homicide and nabbed Delacruz months later in an international manhunt. Delacruz fled into Mexico with blood on his hands but got caught and extradited to the United States to face justice in December 2016.

Delacruz ultimately pleaded guilty June 11 to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and had his weapons offenses dismissed at sentencing Aug. 10. Delacruz received 598 days of jail credit, has been ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution and is scheduled to be released June 20, 2025, records show. He will be subjected to five years of parole supervision after serving his term behind bars.

Delacruz is serving time in the slammer as a self-confessed killer, but The Trentonian could not immediately verify the case status against the co-defendant Perez.

Other violence

A 20-year-old city man suffered a gunshot wound to his right elbow about 4:45 p.m. Friday on the 100 block of Virginia Avenue in the South Ward, police said.

The victim was taken to the hospital by a private vehicle. He was admitted in stable condition at Capital Health Regional Medical Center and told police he was in the area of Virginia Avenue when he heard gunshots. The victim, realizing he had been shot in the arm, got into a vehicle that dropped him off at the trauma center, police said.

Authorities on Saturday did not announce any arrests or release any suspect descriptions in the incident, which remains under investigation by the Mercer County Shooting Response Team.

Kimberly Whitaker and Bobby Hood

Shaquille McNeil wanted “Chuck E Cheese” dead.

Chuck E Cheese wasn’t the mascot of the popular family fun center but a “rat” co-defendant he believed was going to testify against him in the double slaying of a Philadelphia rapper and his friend, according to newly obtained court documents.

Detectives outlined the alleged setup in criminal complaints for two of McNeil’s associates charged in the wild witness extermination plot.

Kimberly Whitaker, 23, McNeil’s girlfriend, and Bobby Hood, 26, both of Trenton, were charged last week with conspiracy to commit murder and witness tampering.

They’re accused of assisting McNeil, who is jailed at the Mercer County correction center awaiting trial, with his plan to take out co-defendant Tashawn Santiago.

McNeil thought Santiago was cooperating with cops and prosecutors in the double slaying of Jerard Perdomo and his 19-year-old friend, Ivan Rodriguez.

Whitaker’s and Hood’s arrests brought the number of people charged for having roles in the double slaying or attempting to snuff out potential witnesses to eight.

Authorities acknowledged Wednesday two more alleged accomplices, Yahonatan Salter and Timothy Lewis, have been charged in connection with the witness hit plot.

Others include Cecil Blake, 31, Lakeisha Hill, 29, Felicita Gee, 43, and Fantasia Gee, 24.

Blake is a convicted killer who survived being shot several times in April.

Top l to r: Lakeisha Hill, Shaquille McNeil, Tashawn Santiago
bottom l to r: Cecil Blake, Felicita Gee, Fantasia Gee
Photos provided by Mercer County Prosecutors Office

Perdomo-Santana, an aspiring rapper who had released his debut mixtape under the stage name Elmii Problema, and Rodriguez were gunned down inside a black Ford Taurus on Jan. 22, near Washington Street and Ashmore Avenue in the Chambersburg section of the city.

The two were allegedly waiting to hawk a pill to a Trenton resident, according to court documents.

The authorities believe McNeil, Blake and Santiago were in a black Chevy Impala that pulled up next to Perdomo-Santana and Rodriguez prior to the shooting.

The three suspects got out and at least one of them got into the back seat of the victims’ car and shot them dead before the Impala sped off while the suspects ditched a pair of handguns out the window.

McNeil was apparently upset Santiago is free while he was detained at the county jail awaiting trial.

Trenton Police Detective Scott Peterson wrote in probable cause affidavits that he subpoenaed McNeil’s phone records once he learned McNeil was contacting associates to map out Santiago’s murder.

The criminal complaints mentioned Salter and Lewis, who were identified as McNeil associates allegedly involved in the murder plot.

A county prosecutors spokesman said Salter and Lewis were arrested Oct. 12.

Salter was locked up by the Mercer County Sheriff's Office on an unrelated warrant when he was served with the latest charges.

Lewis, Salter and McNeil each faces conspiracy and witness tampering charges.

Timothy Lewis

Peterson said it became “clear” after listening to McNeil’s taped jailhouse phone calls with Whitaker, between Sept. 20 and Oct. 5, that he was attempting to set up a hit.

The detective conceded McNeil never used the words “kill” or “murder” during the conversations.

Instead, McNeil communicated in code and used street names and slang to talk to Whitaker and others, authorities said, referring to Santiago as “Chucky-Cheese” [sic], the detective wrote, indicating those who help law enforcement are called “rats.”

From there, Peterson deduced: “Hence the Chucky-Cheese expression.”

McNeil tried to slip his girlfriend, Whitaker, a coded message that was Santiago’s address, Peterson wrote.

McNeil explained to Whitaker the first number of the address was the first number of her phone pin code, followed by a four and a seven.

Detectives determined 147 was a coded message that matched up with the digits of Santiago’s address, according to the complaints.

On another call, Whitaker allegedly three-wayed with McNeil and Salter, also known as “Pound.”

During the Oct. 3 conversation, McNeill allegedly asked Salter for help taking out Santiago.

Salter told McNeil he was “going to get that done for you,” the detective wrote.

The same day, McNeil and Whitaker also talked to Hood, AKA “B-Hood,” the authorities said.

McNeil told Hood to “park up” near Santiago’s home and scope it out.

In yet another call the same day, McNeil instructed Lewis that Whitaker would get him Santiago’s address so Lewis could track Santiago down and kill him, according to the court documents.

Lewis allegedly told McNeil no one would recognize him because he had gotten a new “sh-t,” referring to his vehicle.

Alleged Art All Night gunman Davone White has been indicted on allegations he pointed a loaded pistol at a Trenton cop and in the direction of numerous civilians during the 24-hour arts festival that ended in chaos and bloodshed June 17.

Davone White

Authorities are still awaiting ballistics test results to confirm whether White fired his black Tanfoglio handgun, but the Superior Court on Friday ordered the city man to be jailed without bail pending final resolution of his case, firmly convinced the defendant pulled the trigger.

“It’s a serious danger to the community — possession of a firearm at a public event,” Judge Anthony Massi said Friday at White’s detention hearing, “and discharging that firearm.” 

White, 27, limped into the courtroom Friday afternoon with his right arm tucked in a black sling, finally appearing in court after suffering from gunshot wounds in the Art All Night 2018 gunplay three months ago. Shackled in chains and sporting an orange Mercer County Correction Center jumpsuit, White mostly kept his head down while his lawyer argued he was too wounded to be dangerous.

“He can barely walk now,” defense attorney Christopher Olsen said, suggesting the court should release his client from jail due to his “severe” injuries and “extensive nerve damage.”

“He is not a danger to the community,” Olsen said of White. “He’s not a risk of fleeing. He’s not a risk of failure to appear.”

Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Heather Hadley said the defense at a future date could submit medical reports and request a new detention hearing at that time. White aimed a loaded weapon and “was ready to shoot it” at a public event that had 500 to over 1,000 people in attendance, Hadley argued. She acknowledged ballistics test results are pending, meaning the state as of Friday afternoon did not have any proof the recovered Tanfoglio pistol was discharged.

After Judge Massi ordered White to be placed on pretrial detention, Olsen said he will get the medical records and file for the detention hearing to be re-opened. White denies firing a weapon at the arts event held at the Roebling Wire Works warehouse in Trenton’s North Ward.

“It’s his position he never fired the weapon,” Olsen said in an interview following the detention hearing. “It’s his position he was shot from behind.”

White says a police officer shot him from behind, resulting in his serious injuries, Olsen said. White collapsed in the middle of the roadway near the intersection of Dye and Genesee streets, and authorities say they recovered a handgun in close proximity to the defendant.

White has an extensive criminal history going back to his days as a juvenile, which includes an adult conviction of third-degree aggravated assault, a violent crime that resulted in him being sentenced March 9 to non-custodial probation for two years.

The New Jersey Judiciary’s Public Safety Assessment rated White as being at the highest risk of committing new criminal activity and the highest risk of failing to appear in court for mandatory proceedings. The PSA issued a “no release” recommendation.

Amir Armstrong

A grand jury on Thursday handed up an indictment charging White and another defendant, Amir Armstrong, with weapons offenses.

White has been indicted on one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun without a permit to carry, one count of second-degree possession of a pistol for an unlawful purpose, one count of fourth-degree possession of a large-capacity ammunition magazine, one count of fourth-degree aggravated assault on allegations he pointed a pistol at Trenton Police Detective Eliezer Ramos, another count of fourth-degree aggravated assault on allegations he pointed a firearm at numerous unidentified civilians, and one count of second-degree certain persons not to possess a firearm stemming from his prior aggravated assault conviction.

Armstrong, 24, has been indicted on one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a silver handgun without a permit to carry and one count of third-degree receiving stolen property on allegations he possessed a handgun that had been stolen. Armstrong, who was shot in the head in the Art All Night gunplay, was ordered to pretrial detention several weeks ago.

Tahaij Wells

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force continues to investigate the shooting that erupted during the early morning hours of June 17. Police shot and killed 32-year-old Tahaij Wells in the apparent gunfight that transpired when cops were attempting to shut down the rowdy event. Wells would have likely been charged with weapons offenses if he survived.

The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office has released surveillance video, body-cam footage and 9-1-1 recordings from the Art All Night mass shooting that injured at least 22 people, including 17 who suffered gunshot wounds.

Police are investigating a shooting that left one man dead Wednesday afternoon.

Reports say 12 shots were fired on the 300 block of Spring Street in Trenton at about 3:40 p.m.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, initial reports say he is a black male in his 20s, but his identity has not yet been released.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

Stanley Miller

The man who stabbed 21-year-old Abraham Jeditoe to death in 2013 has finally been punished for his deadly crime.

Stanley Miller IV, 31, of Trenton, has been sentenced on Friday to 12 years of state imprisonment for fatally stabbing Jeditoe on Chambers Street near Trenton Central High School.

Miller pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and must serve 85 percent of his sentence behind bars before he can become eligible for parole, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. 

The homicide occurred on Aug. 4, 2013, and police arrested Miller two days later.

A grand jury originally indicted Miller on murder charges and weapons offenses, but the state dismissed the weapons offenses after he pleaded guilty to an amended count of aggravated manslaughter.

Miller and Jeditoe were acquainted with each other and were involved in a dispute when Miller launched the fatal attack. Jeditoe, a Hamilton resident, was pronounced dead at Capital Health Regional Medical Center shortly thereafter.

At the time of the slaying, Miller sported a pink Mohawk and matching beard.

In this file photo, law enforcement investigate a murder in the Wilbur section of Trenton.

With the winter holiday season upon us, bullets continue to fly in the capital city.

A Philadelphia man was shot and killed Sunday night, becoming the city's second murder victim within a four-day period.

Eric Severino, 27, suffered a gunshot wound to his chest and later died at St. Francis Medical Center.

Emergency dispatch received a call reporting 10 gunshots in the Wilbur section of the city near Walnut Avenue and Monmouth Street around 10:30 p.m.

Cops found Severino in a white SUV suffering from a gunshot wound. Officials say he slipped into cardiac arrest shortly after medics arrived at the scene, and that he died at the hospital a short time later.

Law enforcement sources believe the shooting was the result of a drug deal gone awry.

The capital city has been rife with gunfire in the past week.

A morning gun battle last Tuesday left a trail of shell casings and blood throughout the Wilbur section. Justice Ford was later arrested in connection with the shootout after police obtained video showing him go from being a victim to a suspect when he escaped an ambush and returned fire at his assailant from a safe distance.

The following day, 28-year-old Quanmir Spears was gunned down on Spring Street in a brazen daylight killing.

As of press time, no one has been charged in connection with Severino's death and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to contact the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at 609-989-6406. Or email tips to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, sporting eyeglasses and a “We lift Trenton together” baseball cap, talks to a group of volunteers after they removed truckloads of garbage from Sanford Street on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (SULAIMAN ABDUR-RAHMAN — The Trentonian)

A late-night shooting left one person injured and another man dead, spawning a homicide investigation derailing the new mayor’s community cleanup initiative on Bond Street Saturday morning.

Jibri Chisholm

“We are still going to do Bond Street,” Mayor Reed Gusciora said Saturday afternoon after he and a team of volunteers removed truckloads of garbage from nearby Sanford Street. “It got sidelined by the investigation, but we are going to continue on. It turned out Sanford was an all-day job anyway.”

Authorities identified the deceased victim as Jibri Chisholm, 26, of Trenton.

Gunfire erupted in Trenton’s North Ward about 11:55 p.m. Friday on Bond Street near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, triggering a ShotSpotter activation in the 600 block of MLK. Officers quickly arrived on scene and found one man suffering from a gunshot graze wound and Chisholm suffering from multiple gunshot wounds just before midnight, authorities said.

Both victims were rushed to Capital Health Regional Medical Center for treatment. Chisholm, also known as Chisolm, was pronounced dead a short time later. The other man was treated for a non-life-threatening injury, a Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman confirmed Saturday.

The latest homicide in this 7.5-square-mile capital city occurs at a time when the Trenton Police Department was implementing operational partnerships with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office and other law-enforcement partners to arrest more lawbreakers in response to the recent spate of gun violence that has rocked Trenton since June.

Eight victims since June have been killed in the capital city.

“It’s a result of economic conditions and the lack of hope you see in these neighborhoods,” Gusciora said in an interview. “That’s why cleaning them up is so important.”

The City of Trenton under Gusciora’s leadership planned to host a North Ward community cleanup on Bond and Sanford streets Saturday morning. The homicide prevented the Bond Street cleanup from occurring and resulted in the city exclusively focusing its energy on removing truckloads of junk, rubbish and debris from nearby Sanford Street.

“This is so much more than trash,” the mayor said as volunteers, including students from The College of New Jersey, gathered around him off Sanford Street near Brunswick Avenue. “You see the challenges here.”

The lack of jobs and lack of opportunities pushes some residents into “doing illegal stuff” to make a living, Gusciora told The Trentonian. “Once guns become involved you get the turf wars. We have to create better educational opportunities for them and create jobs.”

North Ward Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson and East Ward Councilman Joseph Harrison participated in Saturday’s cleanup. “Never seen so much garbage,” Caldwell-Wilson told the newspaper.

“These problems are fixable,” Harrison said in an interview. “You have to take pride where you live at. You want to see it get better for the next generation of kids. I want to see these kids be doctors, be the future.”

John Harmon, a former Trenton mayoral candidate who grew up on Sanford Street, said this side of Trenton used to be defined by entrepreneurs and working-class spirit.

“It’s not the same neighborhood,” he said, “but hopefully we can turn it around. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t optimistic we could get the city on the right trajectory.”

So far this year, Trenton has experienced 17 killings, which includes three vehicular homicides and the death of Tahaij Wells, who was killed by police during an early morning shootout at a 24-hour arts festival.

TPD in recent weeks has executed a number of operational deployment strategies designed to crack down on those responsible for perpetuating violence as well as those who contribute to it, according to Trenton Police Capt. Stephen Varn, who issued a news release last week saying these strategies were developed based upon the analysis of current crime patterns and criminal intelligence information.

Between Aug. 6 and Aug. 31, officers made over 250 arrests for various offenses, police said. Included in those arrests were nine arrests for unlawful possession of a handgun, one arrest for unlawful possession of an assault rifle, six arrests for robbery, over 80 drug-related arrests, 70 arrests for active warrants and 29 juveniles were taken into custody for curfew violation.

Twenty firearms were confiscated or recovered and over 3,500 decks of heroin were seized during that time period last month, police said, adding cops also seized over 500 grams of marijuana, more than 135 pills and over $43,000 in suspected drug money.

Trenton Police officers were able to take these enforcement actions while still responding to over 8,000 calls for service, Varn reported in that Sept. 7 news release.

TPD continues to strategize with local, county, state and federal partners to develop plans and operations to address the violence, Varn said, adding Mayor Gusciora and Interim Police Director Pedro Medina have met with New Jersey’s highest-ranking law-enforcement officials earlier this month to examine the recent spate of violence that has afflicted the City of Trenton during Gusciora’s first three months in office.

But none of that was able to prevent Friday’s bloodshed.

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force is investigating Friday’s slaying. Authorities as of Saturday afternoon have not announced any arrests in the case, and no suspect descriptions have been released. Anyone with information on the fatal shooting may contact the task force at (609) 989-6406.

Hours after bouncers removed Mycol Beckett from a city bar for violent behavior, he armed himself with a handgun and murdered Eric Rue, an innocent victim who had regularly patronized the establishment, authorities allege in court documents.

Mycol Beckett (left) is accused of killing Eric Rue (right)

Beckett, 29, entered Championship Bar and Music on the 900 block of Chambers Street during the early morning hours of Sept. 1. He got into a physical altercation with another male at the bar about 12:30 a.m., prompting bouncers to kick Beckett out.

About six hours after the bar fight, surveillance footage shows Beckett getting dropped off near the intersection of Chambers Street and Morris Avenue from a dark-colored Mazda sedan. Beckett then walks to the front passenger door of a vehicle occupied by Rue, leaning with his right hand on the door frame of the front passenger door, according to court documents.

Beckett then appears to engage the victim in a conversation for approximately 60 seconds before shooting the victim through the front passenger’s window, which was partially opened, Detective Scott Rich of the Mercer County Homicide Task Force alleges in an affidavit of probable cause. 

After slaying the victim in cold blood, surveillance footage shows Beckett running on foot to a dark gray Volvo sedan parked on the opposite side of Morris Avenue. Beckett then immediately drives the Volvo sedan away on Morris Avenue toward Bert Avenue at a high rate of speed in the vehicle that had dark-tinted windows, according to the allegations in the affidavit.

Rue, 34, was found about 8 a.m. Sept. 1 sitting in the driver’s seat of a silver 2018 Kia Forte sedan in the area of Commonwealth and Morris avenues in Trenton’s East Ward suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Saint Francis Medical Center for treatment, where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter, court documents state.

Rue was a regular patron of Championship Bar and would often sleep inside his vehicle until the next day after patronizing any bar, according to the affidavit of probable cause, which attributes that information to the victim’s family.

Beckett and Rue had both apparently patronized Championship Bar during the early morning hours of Sept. 1. While Beckett is accused of getting into a bar fight six hours before the homicide, court documents do not identify the black male whom Beckett had a physical altercation with. Rue was a black male, but he may not have been the individual involved in the 12:30 a.m. altercation.

Through reviewing surveillance video and interviewing witnesses, police were able to identify Beckett as the alleged killer.

As a result of the investigation, warrants were issued Sept. 3 for Beckett’s arrest, charging him with murder and related weapons offenses. He was apprehended Sept. 6 during a motor vehicle stop by Trenton Police, authorities said.

Beckett was arrested at least twice last year. He was charged with attempted murder in connection with a July 27, 2017, shooting that happened in the 100 block of Fairway Drive. A 17-year-old male suffered gunshot wounds to both of his legs that morning and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. The victim told police he was in the area dropping someone off when he was shot. Twenty-three-year-old Edgar Williams was also charged in connection with that shooting.

Beckett was also arrested in June last year for alleged drug distribution in the first block of Summer Street.

Rue’s Facebook profile says he was employed as an Automated Logistical Specialist in the United States Army.

Beckett is being held at the Mercer County Correction Center pending a detention hearing regarding the murder charges.

Trentonian staff writer Penny Ray contributed to this report.

Police investigate a murder in Trenton Tuesday afternoon. (Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman - Trentonian)

A woman was shot in the head Tuesday afternoon in a notorious crime hotspot.

Two gunmen sprayed up the 800 block of Stuyvesant Avenue around 2:15 p.m., according to law enforcement who say the men fired approximately 20 rounds from inside a car.

Witnesses told police the gunmen then jumped out of the vehicle, walked up to the woman and shot her in the arms, chest and head. Police sources say she was the target of the shooting, as the gunmen stood over her and fired a few rounds while she was on the ground.

The victim was reportedly taken to the hospital via a pickup truck, rushed into emergency surgery and later pronounced dead.

The shooting happened in front of a deli, according to law enforcement sources who say the entire incident was captured on video.

This is a developing story.

A woman was gunned down in the 800 block of Stuyvesant Avenue Tuesday, November 27, 2018. (Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman - Trentonian)