Homicide Watch Trenton

By SCOTT KETTERER
 sketterer@trentonian.com

TRENTON — With the city still reeling from a shootout on Hobart Avenue, another city man was killed during an early morning home invasion on Friday.

According to Trenton Police Lt. Mark Kieffer, 25-year-old Kayron Jones was shot once in the chest during a home invasion in the 600-block of North Olden Avenue at 12:32 a.m.

“Three black males entered the residence and shot the victim,” Kieffer said. “He was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where he succumbed to his wounds.”

The motive is not yet known in the shooting and further description of the suspects was not available.

The 25-year-old’s death comes after two Trenton Police detectives were shot while they were transporting a domestic violence victim to her home on the first block of Hobart Avenue. Detectives Edgar Rios and Jim Letts — unaware the suspect returned home — were ambushed when 23-year-old Eric McNeil came out of the home and began firing his .38 revolver. The detectives then returned fire, killing McNeil. Rios was struck twice in the torso and Letts was struck twice, once in the right shoulder and once in the right side of his abdomen.

Both detectives were taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center following the shootout for treatment. Rios was in his second surgery on Friday afternoon. Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini said Friday afternoon that Rios was in critical but stable condition after undergoing additional surgical procedures. Letts was released from the hospital on Friday according to the Prosecutor.

Jones become the city’s 30th homicide victim less than a week after the death of Adelso Buendia, who was shot and killed in the city’s South Ward late last Saturday night. Police are still investigating his death.

Jones is the city’s 30th homicide victim, just one shy of the record of 31 set amid a wave of gang violence in 2005.

Jones’ death is under investigation by Trenton Detective Ryan Woodhead and Detective Gary Wasko of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s office. No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information regarding the shootings can call the Trenton Police confidential tipline at (609) 989-3663 or the Crime Stoppers tipline at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip regarding the shootings can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.

Police are investigating its 28th homicide this year after finding a man beaten to death in his home early Friday morning.

Police were sent to the 200 block of Rosemont Avenue around 12:52 a.m. on reports of a sick or injured person that may be dead. Herbert Cummings, 47, of Trenton, was found unresponsive by his roommate and called police. He was pronounced dead at 1:12 a.m. from blunt force trauma, Lt. Steven Varn said. Police are determining if Cummings’ death was the result of a home invasion or a domestic incident.

A neighbor said Cummings had been living in Trenton for a year after coming to the United States from Africa.

“He pretty much stayed to himself,” Minister Phillip Ravenell said. “He’d always give you a pleasant hello.”

“Regardless of the circumstances, nothing justifies taking a life,” he said. “It’s something you can’t recover from, it creates a void you that can’t fill.”

Det. Jason Snyder from the TPD and Det. Matthew Norton from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office are on the case.

Anyone with information regarding the homicide can call the Trenton Police confidential tipline at (609) 989-3663 or the Crime Stoppers tipline at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip regarding the homicide can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.

Trenton police are on the scene of a homicide investigation on the 200 block of Rosemont Avenue.

Trentonian reporter Brian Dzenis is reporting from the location.

He’s reporting the victim, a male, was apparently beaten to death in a possibly domestic violence incident in a home on that block some time after midnight.

Police have not taped off any area outside on the block, but officers are currently guarding the home as detectives work inside.
Stay with Homicide Watch Trenton as the story develops.

Sporting a pink mohawk and a matching beard, 26-year-old Stanley Miller was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly stabbing a man to death near Trenton Central High School during the weekend.

Abraham Jeditoe, 21, of Hamilton, was stabbed multiple times in the stomach on Sunday morning on the 300 block of Chambers Street, which is across the street from the school. He died within an hour after being stabbed at the Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

Authorities had a suspect identified on the day of Jeditoe’s murder. Miller received his charges at Trenton Police Headquarters Tuesday night, Lt. Steven Varn said. Miller has been charged with homicide, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. The two were acquainted with each other and were involved in a dispute when Miller allegedly stabbed Jeditoe, Varn said.

Jeditoe’s death was one of four homicides this past weekend. Nyquan Owens, 21, died from a gunshot wound to the head on the 300 block of Brunswick Avenue early Saturday morning and later that night, Barry Church, 52, of Trenton and Hassan Allen, 22, of Trenton were both gunned down on East State Street. No arrests have been made in either case.

Anyone with information regarding the homicides can call the Trenton Police confidential tipline at (609) 989-3663 or the Crime Stoppers tipline at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip regarding the homicides can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.

By SHAHEED M. MORRIS
For The Trentonian

TRENTON — Nyquan R. Owens proposed to his girlfriend, Shantel Barden, last Tuesday. He left the engagement ring on the dresser for her to wake up and see. Shortly later, he asked her to marry him. She happily accepted the invitation.

Contributed Photo Nyquan Owens poses with his two cousins earlier this year. Owens was murdered over the weekend.

The newly engaged couple’s marriage will never take place.

On Saturday, Trenton Police say that Owens was killed on the 300 block of Brunswick Avenue. In an exclusive interview with The Trentonian in their home, Owens’ mother Kim Green, his fianceé, and other relatives were searching for answers on why someone would take the life of a 20-year-old city resident.

“My son was a good boy who would do anything to help anyone,” Green said, “He was the average young boy that loved to smile,” Green said.

For more on this story, visit Trentonian.com .

The Philadelphia woman who was struck by a wayward Chevy Blazer during a Saturday night shooting that left two dead remains in extremely critical condition, police said on Monday.

Carmen Wright, 23, along with a 22-year-old city woman, were both struck by an SUV driven by Hassan Allen, 22, who lost consciousness and later died at the wheel after being shot near the 1100 block of East State Street.

An official gathers material from the 800-block of East State Street in Trenton as police investigate a reported early-morning shooting. (Trentonian photo/Jackie Schear)

The 22-year-old is expected to make a recovery. Barry Church, 52, was also killed in the shooting and was found dead at the scene. An 18-year-old man arrived at the Capital Health Regional Medical Center with gunshot wounds in his leg and ankle that were also from the East State Street shooting.
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The wave of violence plaguing Trenton’s streets this summer reached a deadly peak this weekend, with four people killed and others left injured in three separate incidents.

Nyquan Owens

The killing streak began early Saturday morning, with the shooting death of 20-year-old Nyquan Owens on the 300 block of Brunswick Avenue.

The violence continued with a crazed flurry along East State Street at about 11 on Saturday night, when 52-year-old Barry Church, believed to be an innocent bystander was shot to death near the corner of Olden Avenue.
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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.
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TRENTON – A trial date has finally been set in the case of the witness allegedly killed for testifying against a boyfriend, who, officials charge, arranged her retaliation assassination from behind prison bars in 2005.

Mercer County Superior Court Judge Andrew Smithson said alleged mastermind Anthony Kidd, his brother Henry Kidd Jr. and suspected triggerman and cousin Darrell Scott will go on trial on Sept. 23.

Anthony Kidd

Smithson ruled after Assistant Mercer County Prosecutor Lew Korngut disclosed that a codefendant had given cops a full statement about what happened and why, and that he’s prepared to testify for the state at the trial.

The prosecutor also said he has a cell-phone mapping expert who will trace all the calls between Trenton and Alabama in which the ambush murder of Kendra DeGrasse was set up eight years ago on the night of March 24.
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By Ana Ceballos
TRENTON — Rasheen Jones left his home with his cousin Tuesday night for a trip to the local convenience store. The 10-minute walk was one he’d taken many times, but this time, Jones never made it back home with the paper towels he’d purchased.

Rasheen Jones, pictured here with his 7-year-old daughter, was shot to death on July 23 in Trenton.

He was shot in the head by an unidentified assailant, and by the end of the night he was pronounced dead.

Jones’ girlfriend Joann Fisher was at home with the couple’s two children when she received a phone call from Jones’ cousin saying Rasheen had been shot.

“I ran down the street knowing exactly where this alley was,” Fisher said. “I’ve walked that street every single day for four years to go to work.”

What she found was Jones, mortally wounded with little time left to live.
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