Trenton teen must raise $500,000 to walk in murder case

Trentonian Staff — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:40:19 -0500

A 19-year-old charged in the death of another man will have to come up with $500,000 cash if he wants to walk out of custody.

Willie Figueroa, of Trenton, was charged with attempted murder and weapons offenses in the shooting that led to the death of Jose deJesus Rodriguez on Jan. 12.

Rodriguez, of Trenton, sustained a number of gunshot wounds following an argument in the 100 block of Fulton Street and survived emergency surgery at Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

But, on Jan. 18 he died as a result of the shooting, officials said.

Mercer County Superior Court Judge Mark Fleming changed the bail from cash or bond to full cash bail, said Casey DeBlasio, spokeswoman for Prosecutor Joseph L. Bocchini Jr.

The defendant is being held in the county lockup and is also under indictment for a weapons offense from March 2009.

Officials said a murder charge could be filed at his next hearing, which is scheduled for Feb. 17 at 9 a.m.

Mercer Prosecutor Joe Bocchini announces arrest of suspect in shooting homicide

Trentonian Staff — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:39:32 -0500

A 19-year-old city resident has been charged with killing another man after an argument Jan. 12 in the 100 block of Fulton Street, police said Monday.

Willie Y. Figueroa, 19, was nabbed by U.S. Marshals on at 10:45 a.m. Friday and was being held by authorities here on $500,000 bail on a charge of attempted murder, reported Casey DeBlasio, spokeswoman for Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini.

“We had a shooting on Fulton Street on Jan. 12, the victim of that shooting, Jose deJesus Rodriguez, succumbed to his injuries on Jan. 18 while at Capital Health Regional Medical Center (Helene Fuld), and we have arrested Mr. Figueroa,” said Detective Sgt. Chris Doyle.

Doyle confirmed that Rodriguez knew somebody in that block and stopped there, and was shot multiple times after getting into an argument with another man. Another police source told The Trentonian the victim had been shot 10 times, yet managed to survive for six days.

His death was the second homicide this year and the seventh since Dec. 15.

I'Kime Melvin was Trenton's first homicide of 2012. The 32-year-old was stabbed to death in his Clearfield Avenue apartment on the Island section on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Jose deJesus Rodriguez | Homicide Watch Trenton

Trenton teen must raise $500,000 to walk in murder case

Mercer Prosecutor Joe Bocchini announces arrest of suspect in shooting homicide