Suspect in two murders arraigned in municipal court
TRENTON — A man who is accused of murdering two people and had a standoff with Connecticut police was arraigned Thursday morning.
Alton Jones
Alton Jones, 21, returned to New Jersey from Connecticut on Wednesday after being picked up by detectives from both the Trenton Police Department and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, MCPO spokeswoman Casey DeBlasio said. He is accused of shooting and killing Rayshawn Ransom, 19, on June 12 and murdering Tierra Green three days later while wounding two other people. Following the second killing, Trenton police announced the manhunt for Jones.
U.S. Marshals in the New York/New Jersey task force tracked Jones to New Haven, Connecticut. When Jones spotted authorities outside his hideout, he allegedly ran back inside the house and barricaded himself in the home. After an hour of negotiations, Jones surrendered peacefully.
Jones was charged with two counts of homicide, two counts of attempted homicide, numerous weapons offenses charges, receiving stolen property, specifically a 10mm handgun stolen from Maryland and tampering with evidence. The tampering charge stems from Jones allegedly arranging to have the handgun used in Green’s killing removed from the scene because he believed he was being investigated by police, according to the prosecutor’s office.
As Judge Gregory Williams read him his charges, Jones sat on a bench in pink handcuffs looking around the room. He remained silent except when answering the judge’s questions and told The Trentonian, to “stop staring him,” before mumbling more unintelligible remarks. Once the judge was finished reading Jones his rights, he was whisked away by Trenton police. Between both murders, bail has been set at a combined $1.5 million.
