Amber Dudley | Homicide Watch Trenton

Guilty confessions abound in Trenton Lyft rideshare murder case

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:08:49 -0500

Douglas Mathis saw the writing on the wall.

When several co-defendants pleaded guilty in the November 2016 murder of Lyft rideshare passenger Amber Dudley, Mathis realized his best course of action was to confess his role in the plot.

(From left) Douglas Mathis, Ronderrick Manuel, Andrew Alston, Kasey DeZolt and Dominique Richter

Mathis, 53, of Trenton, pleaded guilty last Friday to one count of second-degree robbery in a deal that calls for him to cooperate with the state and receive seven years of prison time subject to the No Early Release Act, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. His accomplice liability murder charges will be dismissed when he is sentenced later this year.

A grand jury handed up an indictment on April 12, 2017, charging Mathis and four co-defendants with murder in connection with the slaying of Dudley.

The 27-year-old Collingswood resident suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest as a rideshare passenger caught in the middle of a grisly robbery-turned-homicide plot.

Amber Dudley

Ronderrick Manuel, 44, of Trenton, admits he shot and killed Dudley and has pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in a deal that calls for him to cooperate with the state and serve 30 years of prison time, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

Co-defendant Andrew Alston, 40, of Trenton, pleaded guilty last month to first-degree robbery and weapons offenses in a deal that calls for him to cooperate with the state and serve 16 years behind bars, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Co-defendant Dominique Richter, 32, of Hamilton, who was originally facing a possible 30 years to life in prison on accomplice liability murder charges, pleaded guilty last year to third-degree conspiracy to commit theft. Richter has been released from jail on her own recognizance since Sept. 11, 2017, and must cooperate with the state in the case. Her plea deal calls for her to receive a five-year prison sentence, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The remaining co-defendant in the case is Kasey DeZolt, 33, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, who maintains her innocence but could potentially reach a plea bargain if she decides against taking her case to trial. The four co-defendants who’ve pleaded guilty in the case could potentially testify against DeZolt, and she faces 30 years to life imprisonment if convicted on her heaviest charges.

DeZolt remains jailed on $500,000 cash bail on accomplice liability murder and robbery charges. She is scheduled for a March 5 pretrial conference before Mercer County Superior Court Judge Darlene Pereksta and is represented by public defender Amber Forrester.

Richter admits she was involved in the conspiracy to lure a Lyft rideshare vehicle into the capital city for the purposes of promoting a theft scheme. Prosecutors say DeZolt also played a role in luring the occupants of the rideshare vehicle into Trenton.

On the evening of Nov. 30, 2016, a Lyft vehicle arrived in the area of Mechanics and East Trenton avenues and was confronted by Manuel, who attempted to rob a male passenger at gunpoint. Manuel’s weapon discharged during the confrontation, wounding Dudley with lethal injuries that eventually led to her death, prosecutors said.

Mathis admits he transported Manuel to the scene of the homicide. Alston admits to being armed and dangerous and playing a role in the robbery scheme that led to Dudley’s violent death.

The homicide victim’s younger sister, Brittney Dudley, said her family was “devastated by this loss” in a GoFundMe campaign. The family was lacking funds for Amber Dudley’s funeral and ended up raising $3,125 in a GoFundMe call for help, exceeding the initial $2,000 goal.

Several weeks after the slaying, police in December 2016 arrested Richter and DeZolt on accomplice liability murder charges. Police arrested Alston in January 2017; a regional U.S. Marshals task force arrested Manuel in March 2017; and Mathis got arrested April 10, 2017, according to court records.

Mathis, Alston and Manuel all remain jailed without bail on pretrial detention. Alston is represented by defense attorney Stephen Slaven and is scheduled to be sentenced March 9. Manuel is represented by defense attorney Mark G. Davis and is also scheduled to be sentenced on March 9 before Pereksta.

Richter is the only co-defendant in the case who has been freed from jail pending sentencing. She is represented by private defense attorney Raymond C. Staub and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 23, although her sentencing date could once again get postponed.

Mathis is represented by defense attorney Steven Lember, who had advised his client to take the plea deal once the guilty pleas of the other co-defendants started piling up.

Trenton Lyft rideshare killer admits to slaying Amber Dudley, 2 more co-defendants confess

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 19:20:41 -0500

(From left) Douglas Mathis, Ronderrick Manuel, Andrew Alston, Kasey DeZolt and Dominique Richter

Three of the five people charged in connection with the grisly November 2016 murder of Lyft rideshare passenger Amber Dudley have pleaded guilty.

The triggerman in the case, Ronderrick Manuel, 44, of Trenton, admits he shot and killed 27-year-old Dudley during a robbery in Trenton’s North Ward. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in a deal that calls for him to cooperate with the state and serve 30 years of prison time, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

Co-defendant Andrew Alston, 40, of Trenton, who was originally charged with accomplice liability murder, pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree robbery and weapons offenses in a deal that calls for him to cooperate with the state and serve 16 years behind bars, the prosecutor’s office confirmed Wednesday via email.

As previously reported first by The Trentonian, co-defendant Dominique Richter, 32, of Hamilton, who was originally facing a possible 30 years to life in prison on accomplice liability murder charges, pleaded guilty last year to third-degree conspiracy to commit theft. Richter has been released from jail on her own recognizance since Sept. 11, 2017, and must cooperate with the state in the case. Her plea deal calls for her to receive a five-year prison sentence, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The remaining defendants in the case are Kasey DeZolt, 33, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and Douglas Mathis, 53, of Trenton. Both of them are maintaining their innocence as of Wednesday but could potentially reach a plea bargain if they decide against taking their case to trial.

Mathis remains in jail on pretrial detention on accomplice liability murder charges and is also scheduled to appear for a March 5 pretrial conference before Pereksta. He is represented by defense attorney Steven Lember.

Dudley, a Collingswood resident, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest as a rideshare passenger caught in the middle of a grisly robbery-turned-homicide plot. Richter admits she was involved in the conspiracy to lure a Lyft rideshare vehicle into the capital city for the purposes of promoting a theft scheme. Prosecutors say DeZolt also played a role in luring the occupants of the rideshare vehicle into Trenton.

Amber Dudley

Mathis is accused of transporting Manuel to the scene of the homicide. Alston admits to being armed and dangerous and playing a role in the robbery scheme that led to Dudley’s violent death.

Several weeks after the slaying, police in December 2016 arrested Richter and DeZolt on accomplice liability murder charges. Police arrested Alston in January 2017; a regional U.S. Marshals task force arrested Manuel in March 2017; and Mathis got placed on pretrial detention not long after a grand jury handed up an indictment in April 2017 that charged all five co-defendants in connection with the shooting death of Dudley.

Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo negotiated the plea agreements with Richter, Alston and Manuel. The plea agreements require Richter, Alston and Manuel to cooperate with the state, which means they could potentially each be called to testify against DeZolt or Mathis if DeZolt or Mathis takes the case to trial.

Hamilton woman charged with 2016 Lyft murder admits to theft conspiracy, gets released from jail

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 16:46:28 -0500

One of the women charged with accomplice liability murder in connection with last year’s Lyft rideshare homicide has been released from jail after pleading guilty to a theft conspiracy charge.

Dominique Richter

Dominique Richter, 32, of Hamilton, was originally facing a possible 30 years to life in prison on allegations she aided and abetted the November 2016 shooting death of 27-year-old Amber Dudley. Now Richter could be sentenced to as low as three years of incarceration or as much as five years for pleading guilty to a third-degree nonviolent crime.

Dudley, a Collingswood resident, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest as a rideshare passenger caught in the middle of a grisly robbery-turned-murder plot in Trenton’s North Ward 12 months ago. Prosecutors said Richter was involved in a conspiracy to lure a Lyft rideshare vehicle into the capital city for the purposes of promoting a theft scheme.

On the evening of Nov. 30, 2016, a Lyft vehicle arrived in the area of Mechanics and East Trenton avenues and was confronted by a gunman who attempted to rob a male passenger. The gunman’s weapon discharged during the confrontation, wounding Dudley with lethal injuries that eventually led to her death, prosecutors said.

Amber Dudley

The victim’s younger sister, Brittney Dudley, said her family was “devastated by this loss” in a GoFundMe campaign. The family was lacking funds for Amber Dudley’s funeral and ended up raising $3,125 in a GoFundMe call for help, exceeding the initial $2,000 goal.

Ronderrick Manuel, 43, of Trenton, is being prosecuted as the alleged principal gunman responsible for Dudley’s violent death. The other co-defendants charged with accomplice liability murder are Andrew Alston, 40, of Trenton; Douglas Mathis, 53, of Trenton; and Kasey DeZolt, 33, of Morrisville, Pa.

The three male defendants are being jailed without bail on pretrial detention, and DeZolt is being held on $500,000 cash bail. Meanwhile, Richter is free and awaiting sentencing for pleading guilty to third-degree theft conspiracy, according to court records.

Richter got off light, considering a Mercer County grand jury in April handed up an indictment charging all five co-defendants with first-degree murder — the heaviest criminal offense in New Jersey that commands decades of prison time for anyone convicted on that count.

Richter was committed to the Mercer County Correction Center on Dec. 22, 2016, after being charged with murder on the theory of accomplice liability. She was being held on $500,000 cash bail until Sept. 11, when Superior Court Judge Darlene Pereksta released Richter on her own recognizance upon pleading guilty for her nonviolent role in the homicide case, records show.

Richter admitted she had participated in a conspiracy with other people to promote or facilitate a plan for a principal actor to steal movable property from an unwitting victim.

The state will formally dismiss Richter’s accomplice liability murder charges at her upcoming sentencing hearing. Raymond C. Staub, Richter’s defense attorney, did not immediately have comments on his client’s plea agreement. Staub previously argued in court that his client is the mother of a young child and is not a flight risk.

“It is our policy not to comment on plea offers while cases are active and pending,” Casey DeBlasio, spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, said Tuesday in an email.

At a December 2016 bail hearing, Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo said Richter had “implicated herself and others” in the murder of Amber Dudley and organized the robbery “by her own admission.”

The state could potentially call upon Richter to testify against the co-defendants in the murder case. She is scheduled to be sentenced 9 a.m. Dec. 1 before Judge Pereksta.

Richter listed Capital Health Regional Medical Center as her employer on Facebook last year, but a hospital spokeswoman would not confirm whether she worked there, saying Capital Health does not provide information on a “police matter.”

Five indicted in Lyft murder of Amber Dudley

Scott Ketterer — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 14:50:41 -0400

Amber Dudley

Five people were indicted last week in the murder of 27-year-old Amber Dudley, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said on Wednesday.

Ronderrick Manuel, 43, of Trenton, who is the alleged triggerman in Dudley's killing was indicted on two counts of first degree felony murder, one count of first degree robbery, two counts of second degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and second degree unlawful possession of a weapon. Manuel had recently been arrested after it was alleged he burglarized a Ewing property, he was subsequently rearrested on the charges for which he has been indicted on.

Ronderrick Manuel

The other defendants — Andrew Alston,39; Kasey Dezolt, 32, of Morrisville, Pa.; and Dominique Richter, 31, of Hamilton were each indicted on one count of first-degree felony murder, one count of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

The fifth defendant, Douglas Mathis, 52, of Trenton was served his complaints while he was locked up in Camden on unrelated charges. Court documents related to Mathis' charges say he is accused of transporting co-defendant Manuel to the scene of the homicide.

Amber Dudley, of Collingswood was a passenger in a Silver Toyota Corolla that prosecutors say was lured into Trenton on November 30, 2016. During that time it was alleged that shortly after 7 p.m. in the area of Mechanics and East Trenton Avenue, Manuel got into the vehicle in an attempt to rob a male passenger. It is alleged that Manuel's gun was discharged and Dudley was wounded.

Kasey DeZolt (left) and Dominique Richter

The driver of the silver Toyota Corolla sped to the police station where officers and EMS personnel worked to save Dudley's life as Dudley lay spread out on the ground on the passenger side of the Corolla while it was parked outside of the headquarters building. It took about 20 minutes for them to stabilize her and place Dudley in an ambulance.

Dudley died at the hospital.

The case was presented the the Mercer County Grand Jury by Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo.

Alleged Lyft murder gunman: Detaining me without bail means I may lose my home

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 15:52:44 -0400

Ronderrick Manuel

The fourth defendant arrested and charged in connection with last year’s Lyft rideshare murder has such an extensive history of failing to appear in court and such high New Jersey public safety risk assessment scores that a judge easily ordered him to remain incarcerated at the Mercer County jail without bail.

Hauled into a courtroom in his orange jumpsuit, Ronderrick Manuel, 43, of Trenton, appeared at his detention hearing Tuesday and attempted to portray himself as a hardworking man who would potentially lose his Chambersburg home if placed on pretrial detention.

Manuel, through his public defender Nicole Carlo, said he works two area jobs allowing him to afford his housing expenses and suggested he would be happy to be released on home detention and electronic ankle bracelet monitoring.

Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw, however, said Manuel’s willingness to submit to electronic monitoring is “not sufficient” to warrant his release. “This is a serious, serious criminal history,” he said of Manuel’s record.

A regional U.S. Marshals task force arrested Manuel on Sunday, March, 26, on allegations he shot and killed Lyft rideshare passenger Amber Dudley, 27, of Collingswood, last November in a grisly robbery-turned-murder in Trenton.

The three other defendants in the case — Andrew Alston, Kasey Dezolt and Dominique Richter — have been charged with accomplice liability murder while Manuel is being prosecuted as the alleged principal gunman responsible for Dudley’s violent death on Nov. 30, 2016.

The state filed its detention motion against Manuel on the grounds that the defendant had very high risk assessment scores under New Jersey’s automated Public Safety Assessment or PSA that ranks the potential risk of a defendant failing to appear in court and the risk of a defendant committing new criminal activity and violence.

Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo cited Manuel’s high PSA scores and noted that the murder charges against the defendant means “this is a case where there is a presumption of detention.”

To be released pretrial, Manuel would have needed to provide the judge with a very convincing rebuttal to the state’s motion and PSA recommendation calling for his detention.

Carlo, Manuel’s public defender, argued her client “does not present a flight risk” and said Manuel has ties to the community through his family and through his home ownership on the 100 block of Anderson Street and his employment at a halal meat market and wireless gadgets shop.

But Warshaw reviewed Manuel’s record and found the defendant had one failure to appear in the last two years and 11 failures to appear in court from 2002 to 2012 and that Manuel has previously served time in prison on serious charges.

Manuel committed statutory rape in another state and a couple of burglaries in the 1990s, according to records Warshaw read in court. The statutory rape conviction requires Manuel to register as a sex offender, but Warshaw said Manuel has a history of failing to comply with the registration requirement.

By having very high risk assessment scores, Warshaw said that “obviously demonstrates in and of itself compelling evidence” for why it was appropriate and fitting for Manuel to be indefinitely incarcerated at the Mercer County Correction Center without bail pending final resolution of his murder case that could end with an acquittal, conviction, plea deal or dismissal of all charges.

As such, Warshaw signed the detention order but said Manuel has the right to appeal the decision.

Manuel has a pre-indictment conference scheduled for Monday, May 8, before Superior Court Judge Robert Bingham II.

Alleged gunman in Lyft murder misses court appearance due to illness

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 20:16:52 -0400

The fourth defendant to be arrested and charged in connection with last year’s murder of Amber Dudley did not appear in court Thursday for his scheduled detention hearing.

Ronderrick Manuel, 45, of Trenton, waived his court appearance on Thursday due to illness, according to his public defender Nicole Carlo.

Ronderrick Manuel

Prosecutors are seeking to keep Manuel locked up without bail at the Mercer County jail on allegations he shot and killed Lyft rideshare passenger Amber Dudley last November in a grisly robbery-turned-murder. But prosecutors, instead of explaining why they want Manuel to be detained indefinitely pretrial, said nothing of substance at Manuel’s hearing on Thursday.

Prosecutors signaled they were not prepared to proceed with the detention hearing on Thursday, so a judge postponed the hearing to resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 4, before Mercer County Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw.

While Manuel did not appear in court on Thursday, he apparently did make an initial court appearance earlier this week via video link. However, neither the press nor the general public was permitted to attend that initial arraignment on Tuesday due to the courtroom’s doors being locked in error, according to New Jersey Judiciary spokesman Pete McAleer. The legal proceeding, known as a CJP or Central Judicial Processing hearing, was supposed to be conducted in open court, not under the cloak of secrecy.

Manuel is the latest defendant to be arrested in connection with the murder of Dudley, 27, of Collingswood. The other defendants — Andrew Alston, Kasey Dezolt and Dominique Richter — have been charged with accomplice liability murder while Manuel is being prosecuted as the alleged principal gunman responsible for Dudley’s violent death in Trenton on Nov. 30, 2016.

Police arrested Manuel last week on allegations he burglarized a Ewing property and re-arrested him on Sunday night to face charges of murder, robbery and weapons offenses.

When Manuel finally has his detention hearing, prosecutors will likely argue he is a flight risk and too dangerous to the public to be released on any conditions. Manuel’s previous criminal history may also be cited at the hearing as well as his actual age.

The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office originally said Manuel was born on Dec. 17, 1973, but court records indicate he was born on Dec. 17, 1971.

Prosecutors want latest Lyft murder defendant to be jailed without bail

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 21:11:56 -0400

Ronderrick Manuel

Prosecutors are seeking to keep Ronderrick Manuel locked up without bail at the Mercer County jail on allegations he shot and killed Lyft rideshare passenger Amber Dudley last fall in a grisly robbery-turned-murder.

Prosecutors have filed the motion for pretrial detention earlier this week when Manuel, 43, of Trenton, made his first court appearance Tuesday via video link. He was arrested last week on allegations he burglarized a Ewing property and re-arrested Sunday night to face charges of murder, robbery and weapons offenses.

Manuel is the fourth defendant to be arrested in connection with the murder of Dudley, 27, of Collingswood. The other defendants — Andrew Alston, Kasey Dezolt and Dominique Richter — have been charged with accomplice liability murder while Manuel is being prosecuted as the alleged principal gunman responsible for Dudley’s violent death in Trenton on Nov. 30, 2016.

Neither the press nor the general public was permitted to attend Manuel’s initial arraignment on Tuesday due to the courtroom’s doors being locked in error, according to New Jersey Judiciary spokesman Pete McAleer.

Under New Jersey’s bail reform procedures that went into effect on Jan. 1, newly arrested defendants are supposed to be provided with a first court appearance within 48 hours. Mercer County’s first court appearance arraignments — called CJP or Central Judicial Processing hearings — are supposed to be open to the public either in the actual courtroom or through the state’s online Virtual Court.

Manuel’s first court appearance on Tuesday was not streamed live on the Virtual Court. Thus, the courtroom’s doors being locked in error had the real effect of preventing the general public from observing Manuel’s legal proceeding — a proceeding that was supposed to be conducted in open court, not under the cloak of secrecy.

Homicide Watch Trenton has belatedly learned that a judge scheduled Manuel’s detention hearing to be held Thursday afternoon at Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw’s courtroom. That hearing will decide whether Manuel remains incarcerated without bail or if he is released with conditions.

Cops make fourth arrest in fatal Lyft robbery

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 20:28:54 -0400

Ronderrick Manuel

A man who was arrested last week on burglary offenses is now facing murder charges accusing him of being the gunman who shot and killed Amber Dudley during last November’s fatal Lyft robbery in the capital city.

Ronderrick Manuel, 43, of Trenton, is the fourth defendant to be arrested in connection with the murder of Dudley, 27, of Collingswood. The other defendants, however, have been charged with accomplice liability murder.

Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri on Monday evening announced police have captured Manuel and charged him as the principal actor, charging him with murder, felony murder, robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Manuel was taken into custody Sunday night in Trenton by the U.S. Marshals’ New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, according to the prosecutor’s office. Ewing Police arrested Manuel last Thursday on burglary charges after a business on Calhoun Street reported hearing someone in the unoccupied portion of the building.

The other co-defendants charged in connection with the murder of Dudley are Andrew Alston, Kasey Dezolt and Dominique Richter, all of whom remain incarcerated at the Mercer County Correction Center as they await trial.

Dudley was a passenger in a vehicle operating under a rideshare service that was lured to Trenton on Nov. 30, 2016. Prosecutors say their investigation has revealed that when the Lyft vehicle was in the area of Mechanics and East Trenton avenues shortly after 7 p.m., a man identified as Manuel got inside attempting to rob a male passenger when his gun discharged during the confrontation, wounding Dudley with lethal injuries that eventually led to her death.

Alleged gunman in fatal Lyft robbery arrested

Penny Ray — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 12:27:27 -0500

Andrew Alston

A third suspect accused in the murder of Amber Dudley has been arrested.

Thirty-nine-year-old Andrew Alston, the alleged gunman who fired a shot while robbing passengers of a Lyft rideshare service in November, was arrested minutes after prosecutors sent media a release seeking the public's help in finding him.

Dudley, a 27-year-old from Collingswood, was one of three passengers in a car when a man armed with a handgun tried to enter the rear of the vehicle on Mechanics Avenue. Officials say the suspect tried to rob the occupants of the car, which sparked a struggle between he and the passengers. The driver then sped away and the gunman fired a shot.

Dudley and two of her friends were being driven by a man providing rides through Lyft. After Dudley was shot, the Lyft driver fled to TPD headquarters. It took about 20 minutes for law enforcement and EMS personnel to stabilize her before taking Dudley to the hospital, where she later died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Kasey DeZolt (left) and Dominique Richter

At previous bail hearings for two other defendants in the case, prosecutors said 31-year-old Dominique Richter “implicated herself and others” in the Nov. 30 murder, and that she organized the robbery “by her own admission.”

Prosecutors also say phone records show that 32-year-old Kasey DeZolt lured a witness to Mechanics Avenue where a man tried to rob occupants of a car, resulting in Dudley’s death.

That gunman, prosecutors say, is Alston, who was arrested Tuesday afternoon. Alston is charged with being an accomplice to felony murder, robbery and weapons offenses. He has last known addresses of Perrine Avenue and Randall Avenue in Trenton.

Dezolt and Richter, whom are charged with the same offenses, remain in the Mercer County Correction Center.

Police and medics rush to save a woman who was driven to TPD headquarters after being shot in East Trenton. November 30, 2016 (Penny Ray - Trentonian)

Phone records show accomplice lured passengers to fatal Lyft robbery location: PROSECUTORS

Penny Ray — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 14:12:22 -0500

Kasey DeZolt (left) and Dominique Richter

As details regarding the death of Amber Dudley emerge, the case becomes more odd.

At a bail hearing Thursday, prosecutors said phone records show that 32-year-old Kasey DeZolt actually lured a witness to Mechanics Avenue where a man tried to rob occupants of a car, resulting in Dudley’s death.

Prosecutors previously said co-defendant Dominique Richter “implicated herself and others” in the Nov. 30 murder, and that she organized the robbery “by her own admission.”

Other than that, officials have remained tight-lipped as detectives continue to search for Andrew Alston, who prosecutors say pulled the trigger that fateful night and remains on the run.

Amber Dudley

Dudley and two of her friends were being driven by a man providing rides through Lyft, which is a peer-to-peer ridesharing service similar to Uber. After Dudley was shot, the Lyft driver fled to TPD headquarters. It took about 20 minutes for law enforcement and EMS personnel to stabilize her before taking Dudley to the hospital, where she later died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

At DeZolt’s bail hearing Thursday, prosecutors said a witness in the car with Dudley told police DeZolt lured them to that location on Mechanics Avenue. Prosecutors did not disclose the nature of the meeting, but Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo said text messages and phone call records confirmed a witness was in communication with DeZolt prior to the botched robbery.

DeZolt’s defense attorney didn’t proffer much information, but requested a bail reduction due to her client’s nonexistent criminal record.

A judge reduced DeZolt’s bail to $500,000 cash or bond, partly because she had no prior criminal history and partly because Richter’s bail was lowered to that amount by a different judge earlier this week.

DeZolt, of Morrisville, Pa., and 31-year-old Richter, of Hamilton, are both charged with accomplice liability felony murder, accomplice liability robbery, accomplice liability unlawful possession of a weapon and accomplice liability possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose.

At the bail hearing, defense attorney Amber Forrester said DeZolt was employed at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton “up until recently.”

Richter also lists Capital Health Regional Medical Center as her employer on Facebook.

PROSECUTORS: Alleged Lyft murder accomplice organized the robbery 'by her own admission'

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 12:29:27 -0500

Dominique Richter (left) and Kasey Dezolt

One of the alleged female accomplices in last month’s grimy robbery-plot-turned-murder of Amber Dudley had her $1 million bail cut in half Tuesday while the triggerman remains at large.

Dominique Richter, 31, of Hamilton, attended her bail hearing via remote video conference Tuesday morning and was inching to make a statement, asking, “May I say something?” but she ultimately heeded the advice of her attorney Raymond C. Staub, who advised her to remain silent.

Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo unsuccessfully asked Judge Thomas M. Brown to maintain Richter’s bail at $1 million, arguing that Richter had “implicated herself and others” in the Nov. 30 murder of Dudley and that she had organized the robbery “by her own admission.”

Dudley, a 27-year-old from Collingswood, was one of three passengers inside a taxi-style vehicle on the night of Nov. 30 as a man armed with a handgun tried to enter the rear of the vehicle on Mechanics Avenue in the city’s East Trenton neighborhood. Officials say the suspect tried to rob the occupants of the car, which sparked a struggle between him and the passengers.

Dudley was shot in the chest while being driven by a man providing rides through Lyft, which is a peer-to-peer ridesharing service similar to Uber. As the gunman engaged in a tussle with the passengers of the vehicle, the Lyft driver sped away and the gunman fired a shot, officials said.

Police arrested Richter last Wednesday in connection with Dudley’s homicide, held her on $1 million cash bail and charged her as an accomplice with first-degree felony murder, first-degree robbery and weapons offenses. Richter apparently gave a statement to authorities sometime between her arrest and Tuesday without having her attorney Ray Staub present.

Grillo at Tuesday’s bail hearing said prosecutors have found “inconsistencies” in Richter’s statement to authorities and that prosecutors have reviewed phone records and talked with individuals who were in the car with Dudley when she was shot.

Richter’s Hamilton-based defense attorney said he had not had a chance to speak one-on-one with his client or to review her statements but called the $1 million bail “excessive” and asked for a reduced bond. In making his argument, Staub said Richter is the mother of a 4-year-old child and declared his client “is not going anywhere,” suggesting Richter was not a flight risk.

Staub also said Richter’s fiancé and father were both seated in the courtroom during the bail hearing in support of their loved one.

Although Richter faces serious charges as an alleged accomplice to the murder of Amber Dudley, Judge Brown lowered her bail to $500,000 cash or bond.

Staub afterward told The Trentonian he is “glad” the judge reduced the bail.

Grillo said he had no comment on the judge denying his request to maintain Richter’s bail at $1 million.

Another alleged accomplice in Dudley’s murder, Kasey DeZolt, 32, of Morrisville, Pa., was arrested last Thursday and charged with the same offenses as Richter. DeZolt did not have a bail hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

Police still have not announced an arrest of the gunman who had fired the shot that killed Dudley. Prosecutors identified the suspected gunman as Andrew Alston and confirmed he remained at large as of Tuesday morning.

Two women charged in death of Lyft rideshare passenger

Penny Ray — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 17:13:40 -0500

Dominique Richter (left) and Kasey DeZolt

Two women have been arrested in connection with the death of Amber Dudley, who was killed during a robbery gone awry last month.

Dominique Richter, 31, of Hamilton, and Kasey DeZolt, 32, of Morrisville, Pa., are both charged as accomplices in the death of Dudley, who was shot in the chest while being driven by a man providing rides through Lyft, which is a peer-to-peer ridesharing service similar to Uber.

Dudley, a 27-year-old from Collingswood, was one of three passengers in the car November 30 when a man armed with a handgun tried to enter the rear of the vehicle on Mechanics Avenue. Officials say the suspect tried to rob the occupants of the car, which sparked a struggle between he and the passengers. The Lyft driver then sped away and the gunman fired a shot.

After Dudley was shot, the Lyft driver sped to TPD headquarters in the 200 block of North Clinton Avenue, about a mile away from the shooting scene. Patrol vehicles then sped back to the police station, and law enforcement frantically tried to save Dudley.

Amber Dudley

Officers and EMS personnel hurried to perform life-saving measures as Dudley lay spread out on the ground on the passenger side of a Toyota Corolla that was parked outside of the headquarters building. It took about 20 minutes for them to stabilize her and place Dudley in an ambulance.

But their efforts were not enough; Dudley later died at the hospital after undergoing emergency surgery.

Richter was arrested Wednesday night in connection with the murder, and DeZolt was apprehended Thursday morning.

Sources told The Trentonian the gunman remains on the run.

Richter lists Capital Health Regional Medical Center as her employer on Facebook. The hospital, though, would not confirm the status of Richter's employment following her arrest.

“We actually don't provide information whenever it's a police matter,” Capital Health spokeswoman Kate Stier said in a message. “With this particular case, it is a police matter, so we don't have anything to provide you as far as information.”

On her LinkedIn profile, DeZolt lists her employer as Edible Arrangements, where she’s worked as a Customer Service Store Manager. A representative from the store said they don’t have an employee with the last name DeZolt.

Richter and DeZolt are each charged with accomplice liability felony murder, accomplice liability robbery, accomplice liability unlawful possession of a weapon and accomplice liability possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose.

Each of their bail amounts were set at $1 million.

Police and medics rush to save a woman who was driven to TPD headquarters after being shot in East Trenton. November 30, 2016 (Penny Ray - Trentonian)

Gunshot victim dies after Lyft driver takes her to Trenton Police HQ

Penny Ray — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 00:12:00 -0500

Police and medics rush to save a woman who was driven to TPD headquarters after being shot in East Trenton. November 30, 2016 (Penny Ray - Trentonian)

The situation appeared bad from the start. Then, it became worse.

Amber Dudley, a 27-year-old female from Collingswood, who was driven to Trenton Police headquarters after being shot died at the hospital shortly before midnight Wednesday.

Officials say Dudley was one of three passengers being transported by a man providing rides through Lyft, which is a peer-to-peer ridesharing service similar to Uber.

None of the people in the car, including the driver, were from Trenton, according to police who say Dudley and the other two passengers were friends.

Officials say the vehicle was on Mechanics Avenue around 7:15 p.m. when a man armed with a handgun tried to enter the rear of the car. Officials say the suspect tried to rob the occupants of the vehicle, which sparked a struggle between he and the passengers. The Lyft driver then sped off, officials say, and the gunman fired a shot.

After Dudley was shot, the Lyft driver sped to TPD headquarters in the 200 block of North Clinton Avenue, creating a frantic situation that sent patrol vehicles speeding back to the police station.

Officers hurried to perform life-saving measures as Dudley lay spread out on the ground on the passenger side of a Toyota Corolla that was parked outside of the headquarters building.

Witnesses who were leaving the city’s municipal court, which is in the same building as police headquarters, said they saw Dudley hunched inside the vehicle, convulsing and clinging onto life while a man ran inside the building seeking help.

Amber Dudley (submitted photo)

“It looked like she wasn’t going to make it,” one witness said at the scene.

Witnesses said law enforcement personnel and medics took Dudley out of the car and performed CPR before placing her inside an ambulance and rushing her to the hospital.

The Lyft driver and other occupants of the car were detained for questioning. No other injuries were reported.

Officials say Dudley was able to speak when she arrived at the police station and told officers she was shot somewhere in East Trenton.

She died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

It took about 20 minutes for police and EMS officials to stabilize the woman and place her in an ambulance for transport to the hospital.

The Toyota, meanwhile, remained outside headquarters with the driver’s side door open, awaiting detectives to process the crime scene.

After news of her death spread, several of Dudley's friends expressed their sorrow on Facebook.

"I would die to give you your life back," Keane Susie wrote, while posting a picture of Dudley. "I can't stop crying. I want to wake up and this be a f****** nightmare."

One of Dudley's friends who uses the profile Gargoyles Max Steele wrote:

"This is such a sad story, such a bad turn of events. She was just a cool down to Earth person. She was actually one of the first people to start a conversation with me when I moved from Camden and came to Collingswood not knowing a soul besides my football teammates. R.I.P Amber man, You'll always be remembered by me, Collingswood Alumni. I always show love."

A representative from Lyft provided the following statement via email late Thursday:

"Our deepest sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the Lyft passenger who was tragically killed yesterday. Safety is our top priority, and Lyft has been working closely with law enforcement to assist their investigation."

The suspect remains on the run.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at (609) 989-6406 or contact the Trenton Police confidential tip line at (609) 989-3663. Individuals may also call the Trenton Crime Stoppers tip line at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.

— Trentonian staff writer Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman contributed to this report.

Police and medics rush to save a woman who was driven to TPD headquarters after being shot in East Trenton. November 30, 2016 (Penny Ray - Trentonian)