Patrick Walker | Homicide Watch Trenton

Gunman gets 12 years in 2014 Trenton homicide case

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Fri, 14 Dec 2018 19:40:20 -0500

State prisoner Anthony L. Concepcion is serving additional time in the slammer for admitting he killed 39-year-old Patrick Walker in 2014.

Anthony Concepcion

Concepcion, 26, of Trenton, pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in October and received a 12-year prison sentence last week. He was already serving a five-year prison sentence at South Woods State Prison for pleading guilty in another case to unlawful possession of a handgun, court records show.

Armed and dangerous, Concepcion was arrested Sept. 30, 2014, for packing heat in the City of Trenton without a permit to carry. He eventually posted $50,000 cash bail on Oct. 22, 2014, buying his way out of jail and using his freedom to slay Walker outside of Trenton’s La Guira Bar on Dec. 13, 2014.

Weeks after the homicide, police re-arrested Concepcion in January 2015 and charged him with murder and weapons offenses on allegations he shot and killed Walker.

Patrick Walker

Concepcion became a New Jersey Department of Corrections inmate in May 2017 after pleading guilty in his initial weapons case. He later pleaded guilty in the homicide case after fighting the charges for years and failing to win an acquittal.

Concepcion’s murder trial ended without resolution in August due to a jury snafu. Members of the jury had conducted deliberations without all jury members being present, a clear violation of the judge’s instructions. The debacle tainted the judicial process and forced a mistrial.

The state was prepared to retry Concepcion on murder charges, but he averted a retrial by pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter, ending his presumption of innocence. Concepcion would have faced 30 years to life in prison if a jury had convicted him of murder.

The indictment originally charged Concepcion with first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a firearm for unlawful purposes, and second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun. He pleaded guilty Oct. 15 to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and had his weapons offenses dismissed at his sentencing hearing last Friday.

Mercer County Superior Court Judge Darlene Pereksta sentenced Concepcion to 12 years of incarceration. He must serve 85 percent of the sentence behind bars before he may become eligible for parole but has been awarded 1,431 days of jail credit, records show.

The self-confessed killer will be subjected to five years of parole supervision upon release from state prison and has been ordered to pay over $6,000 in restitution.

Jury snafu ends Trenton murder trial without verdict

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 15:29:20 -0400

Anthony Concepcion

State prisoner Anthony L. Concepcion remains in the custody of New Jersey Department of Corrections after his murder trial ended last week without resolution.

Concepcion, 26, of Trenton, is a self-confessed gunman serving a five-year prison sentence at South Woods State Prison while fighting Mercer County prosecutors in another case accusing him of shooting and killing 39-year-old Patrick Walker in 2014.

Concepcion had his day in court earlier this month, but his legal proceeding ended in a mistrial last Thursday due to a snafu involving the jury’s failure to follow instructions.

“The issue was related to deliberations being conducted by jurors outside of the presence of the entire jury,” Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman Casey DeBlasio said Tuesday in an email explaining why Judge Darlene Pereksta granted the defense’s motion for a mistrial.

In any trial by jury, a judge always gives strict instructions to each juror, including guidance that the jury shall not deliberate until and unless all 12 jury members are present in the jury room. The jury violated that instruction in Concepcion’s murder trial, prompting public defender Jessica Lyons to move for a mistrial with the state consenting to the motion, DeBlasio confirmed.

“The next court date is scheduled for Sept. 17,” DeBlasio said, “and the state is prepared to retry the case. It will be assigned to another assistant prosecutor as Michelle Gasparian is leaving the office for another job opportunity.”

Gasparian, who has served as a distinguished Mercer County prosecutor for the last 20 years, winning a huge murder conviction last year in the 2011 body-in-the-trunk execution case against killer Danuweli Keller, was prosecuting Concepcion with her trademark methodical approach before his trial ended on a technicality last week.

The prosecutor’s office did not elaborate on Gasparian’s future job opportunity, but sources say she will be joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office. She was previously cross-designated to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and worked with federal prosecutors in the past to win convictions against Bloods street gang members involved in a massive drug ring in Trenton.

Concepcion is accused of shooting and killing Patrick Walker outside of Trenton’s La Guira Bar on Dec. 13, 2014. Police arrested Concepcion Jan. 6, 2015, in connection with the homicide. An indictment eventually charged him with first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a firearm for unlawful purposes, and second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun.

Patrick Walker

The defendant was known to be armed and dangerous. Concepcion illegally possessed a handgun in Trenton on Sept. 30, 2014, and promptly got arrested for the offense. He posted $50,000 cash bail on Oct. 22, 2014, buying his way out of jail only to get re-arrested several weeks later on murder charges, according to court records.

Concepcion maintains his presumption of innocence in the murder case but admits to being in unlawful possession of a handgun in the September 2014 weapons case. A judge sentenced him to five years of state incarceration last year. He is currently scheduled to be released from DOC custody March 14, 2019, and faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder.

3 murder trials heating up in Mercer County

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 20:48:12 -0400

Three murder trials are heating up in the Mercer County Criminal Courthouse.

Alberto Lopez, 21, of Trenton, is finally having his day in court after being arrested nearly five years ago and held on $750,000 cash bail on murder charges.

Lopez was 16 when he shot 17-year-old Shamere Melvin in the head during a botched robbery on the 300 block of North Clinton Avenue in Trenton’s North Ward Dec. 18, 2013, prosecutors said. The victim died from his injuries and police arrested Lopez the following day.

Facing prosecution as an adult, Lopez’s murder trial commenced this week before Mercer County Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier.

Public defender Jason C. Matey is representing Lopez, who has been indicted on five criminal charges that include first-degree murder, first-degree 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 Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo is prosecuting the case on behalf of the state.

Anthony L. Concepcion hopes to get acquitted in his city murder trial, which is getting underway before Mercer County Superior Court Judge Darlene Pereksta.

Anthony Concepcion

Concepcion, 26, of Trenton, was out on bail on a gun charge when he allegedly shot and killed 39-year-old Patrick Walker outside of La Guira Bar on Dec. 13, 2014. Police arrested Concepcion Jan. 6, 2015, in connection with the homicide. An indictment eventually charged him with first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a firearm for unlawful purposes, and second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun.

Public defender Jessica Lyons is representing Concepcion, a convicted felon already serving time in state prison for pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a handgun. He illegally possessed a handgun in Trenton on Sept. 30, 2014, getting promptly arrested for the offense. He posted $50,000 cash bail on Oct. 22, 2014, buying his way out of jail only to get re-arrested several weeks later on murder charges, according to court records.

Concepcion’s bail was set at $750,000 full bond or cash in the homicide case, but he remains in DOC custody as a self-confessed gunman while his murder case revs up. Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Michelle Gasparian is prosecuting Concepcion in the murder case. The defendant faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder. Concepcion is currently scheduled to be released from South Woods State Prison on March 20, 2019.

Carlos Ortiz, 52, of Ewing, is currently on trial on charges he murdered his girlfriend at their township residence nearly two years ago.

Ortiz got into an argument with 51-year-old Rufina Castro, bludgeoned her with a Corona beer bottle, wrapped a phone cord charger around her neck and strangled her to death inside their township home on the 300 block of Ewingville Road on Aug. 16, 2016, prosecutors alleged. He fled the home in a Ford Explorer after stacking clothes and blankets on top of his deceased girlfriend, prosecutors said.

Castro’s body was discovered one day later, Aug. 17, 2016, after police were called to the residence about 3 a.m. for a welfare check. Officers found her body in the bedroom. Police later that day found Ortiz’s SUV outside of a hotel in Belleville and arrested him, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. He could serve 30 years to life in prison if convicted on the heaviest charges.

A grand jury indicted Ortiz last summer on seven counts, including first-degree purposeful murder, second-degree aggravated assault, two counts of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, two counts of fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and third-degree theft by unlawful taking of movable property.

Public defender Amber Forrester is representing Ortiz, who is being prosecuted by Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Sean McMurtry in a trial by jury before Mercer County Superior Court Judge Anthony Massi.

Ortiz, who previously served time in jail and state prison for committing a July 2010 robbery in Bayonne and distributing drugs in Jersey City in July 2009, has been held on $1 million cash bail since his arrest on Aug. 17, 2016.

Suspected killer in Trenton slaying outside of La Guira Bar pleads not guilty

Isaac Avilucea — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:38:48 -0400

A city man has pleaded not guilty to killing a 39-year-old Trenton man outside of a crime-ridden bar last year.

Anthony Concepcion

Gang member Anthony L. Concepcion was out on bail on a gun charge when he allegedly fatally shot Patrick Walker outside of La Guira Bar on Dec, 13, 2014, one of two murders at the establishment in a five-month span.

Twenty-year-old Enrico Smalley Jr., of Ewing, was killed outside the same bar in July 2014. Suspected killer Shaheed Brown is on trial in the Smalley slaying.

The murders outside the bar drew the attention of the Alcoholic Beverage Control division of the Attorney General’s Office, which inquired into La Guira Bar’s practices but did not shut the bar down despite concerns from the owner his business would be shuttered.

Concepcion allegedly produced a handgun from his waistband and fired at the ground before pumping several rounds into Walker in a random killing that has puzzled investigators.

There was no indication Concepcion was inside the bar or interacted with Walker before shooting him, and prosecutors said they were unaware of a motive in the murder.

Patrick Walker

Walker was found outside the North Clinton Avenue establishment around 2 a.m., suffering multiple gunshot wounds, and died a short time later.

Concepcion, who was arraigned Thursday before Judge Robert Billmeier, entered not guilty pleas to counts of murder and weapons offenses. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals in a Florida hotel where prosecutors say he fled after the murder.

Concepcion’s attorney had said at a bail hearing earlier this year his client was visiting family in the Sunshine State and was unaware police had issued a warrant for his arrest.

Concepcion was previously arrested Sept. 30 on drug and weapons charges after police said they watched him dispose of a marijuana-filled cigarette box. Police found a gun stashed in Concepcion’s groin, which he is challenging on the grounds it was a warrantless search.

Concepcion has a violent streak, serving two state prison sentences for weapons convictions, according to state records. One conviction stemmed from an incident in which Concepcion was accused of shooting at the mother of his child while she held the couple’s baby in her arms in 2010.

He had been charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault, child endangerment and weapons offenses. A grand jury no billed the charges, indicting him on a single count of aggravated assault, officials have said.

He pleaded guilty to second-degree possession of a weapon and received a five-year sentence in 2011. Held in the Mercer County Correction Center on $750,000 bail, Concepcion’s next court appearance is set for January.

Trenton man indicted in connection with murder of Patrick Walker

Penny Ray — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 12:14:25 -0400

Anthony Concepcion

A city man who allegedly fled to Florida to avoid being arrested for the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Patrick Walker, which occurred outside of La Guira Bar, has been indicted in connection with the killing.

Anthony Concepcion, 23, was indicted Wednesday by a Mercer County grand jury that charged him with murder and related weapons offenses for allegedly killing Walker in December.

Walker was gunned down outside of La Guira Bar near the corner of North Clinton Avenue and Poplar Street around 2 a.m. on Dec. 13, and later died at the hospital.

At a bail hearing earlier this year, prosecutors said witnesses identified Concepcion as the gunman, but authorities are still trying to establish a motive for the murder.

About a month after the killing, Concepcion was found in a hotel in Altamont Springs, Florida, by the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force, which was notified of his whereabouts by detectives working the case in Trenton.

Prosecutors believe Concepcion fled to Florida to avoid being arrested in connection with Walker’s death. But Concepcion’s attorney, Sam Goldberg, said his client traveled to the Sunshine State to visit family and was unaware police had issued a warrant for his arrest.

Concepcion served two state prison sentences for weapons convictions, according to state records. One conviction stemmed from a 2010 incident in which Concepcion was accused of shooting at the mother of his child while she held the couple’s baby in her arms.

Concepcion is being held in the Mercer County Correction Center on $750,000 bail.

Bail increased for Anthony Concepcion, charged with murder in Patrick Walker killing

Isaac Avilucea — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 12:43:58 -0500

Anthony L. Concepcion produced a handgun from his waistband, fired at the ground and pumped several rounds into Patrick Walker outside of La Guira Bar in December, authorities said.

Prosecutors are still unsure of the reasons behind the Dec. 13 slaying that took the 39-year-old’s life. Was it drug related? Was it gang related? Did Concepcion, 23, who is charged with murder and weapons offenses, exchange words with Walker before the shooting?

Assistant Prosecutor Michelle Gasparian said authorities have no clear motive and are hoping witnesses who identified Concepcion as the gunman can help them piece it together.

Walker was found outside the North Clinton Avenue establishment around 2 a.m., suffering multiple gunshot wounds, and died a short time later.

Authorities have a patchwork of surveillance footage from the bar and other businesses, Gasparian said. Gasparian said there is no indication Concepcion was ever inside the bar or interacted with Walker before shooting him.

Concepcion, a known gang member with a violent past, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in a Florida hotel last month.

Concepcion’s attorney, Sam Goldberg, said his client traveled to the Sunshine State to visit family and was unaware police had issued a warrant for his arrest.
Concepcion was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail. Superior Court Judge Timothy Lydon increased bail to $750,000.

Concepcion was previously arrested Sept. 30 on drug and weapons charges after police said they watched him dispose of a marijuana-filled cigarette box. During a search, police found a gun stashed in Concepcion’s groin.

Walker was the second person shot outside of La Guira Bar last year, following the July 12 shooting death of Enrico Smalley Jr.

Repeated gun violence outside the bar prompted the Alcoholic Beverage Control division of the Attorney General’s Office to inquire into La Guira Bar’s practices. The owner expressed concern he would be shut down and vowed to enact safety measures to help curtail the violence.

Concepcion served two state prison sentences for weapons convictions, according to state records. One conviction stemmed from an incident in which Concepcion was accused of shooting at the mother of his child while she held the couple’s baby in her arms in 2010.

Concepcion was originally charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault, child endangerment and weapons offenses. But a grand jury no billed most of the charges and indicted him on a single count of aggravated assault, said Casey DeBlasio, spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

Concepcion pleaded guilty to second-degree possession of a weapon and received a five-year sentence in 2011, DeBlasio said.

Trenton man arrested in Florida in connection with Patrick Walker murder

Penny Ray — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 10:44:03 -0500

A city man wanted for the murder of Patrick Walker was arrested Friday in a hotel in Florida.

Walker, 39, was gunned down outside of La Guira Bar near the corner of North Clinton Avenue and Poplar Street around 2 a.m. on Dec. 13. He later died at the hospital and became the second person to be shot and killed outside the bar last year.

Anthony Concepcion

Anthony Concepcion, 22, was arrested Friday by the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force, which was notified of his whereabouts by detectives working the case in Trenton.

Prosecutors say Concepcion was found in a hotel in Altamont Springs, Florida. He is being held at the Seminole County Jail where he awaits extradition to NJ. Concepcion's bail is set at $500,000 cash or bond.

Trenton bar investigated by AG’s office after second fatal shooting in 2014 occurred outside

Isaac Avilucea — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 18:42:01 -0500

The shooting death of a city man outside of a Trenton bar has drawn attention from the state Attorney General’s Office, which contacted the owner of the bar this week as part of an inquiry into the establishment’s practices, the owner said.

Martin Rodriguez, the owner of La Guira Bar, told The Trentonian he has spoken with someone from Alcoholic Beverage Control, a regulatory division of the Attorney General’s Office that oversees licensing and enforcement issues for New Jersey bars, in regards to the shooting death of 39-year-old Patrick Walker, who was gunned down outside the North Clinton Avenue establishment by an unknown assailant early Saturday morning.

Rodriguez offered few details about the conversation, and said he would have a better understanding of the extent of the Attorney General Office’s interest in the shooting when he speaks with them again after Christmas. But he admitted he is worried his bar is “in jeopardy” of being closed after its second shooting death in the last five months.

“It’s a tough position,” said Rodriguez, who, on top of the shooting, said he was just released from prison after serving a six-month sentence for driving under the influence. “I put my life into the bar. Everything is in limbo.”

Walker’s murder has prompted concern from city residents and a fellow bar owner about whether Rodriguez is doing enough to curb violence at his establishment. North Ward Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson said she was unaware of the recurring violence at La Guira, but she expects the bar will be sanctioned after the fatal shooting of Walker.

“I haven’t received complaints from the community there, so I wasn’t aware that there were issues going on,” Caldwell-Wilson said. “If there’s been numerous complaints against them and they involve the police, eventually it’s going to come before ABC, and penalties will be imposed.”

At this point, the level of participation from the Attorney General’s Office is unknown, and a spokesman declined to say if it has launched an investigation into La Guira, which was also where 20-year-old Enrico Smalley Jr. was killed in July after prosecutors said he was involved in a dispute with Shaheed Brown, 30, who was arrested and charged with murder.

A spokesman for the county prosecutor’s office also couldn’t say whether the AG division has been in touch with her office about requesting footage of the shooting obtained by detectives from Mercer County Homicide Task Force.

As part of the enforcement arm of the Attorney General’s Office, the Alcoholic Beverage Control, or ABC, works closely with police departments and has authority to take steps to shut down bars or impose other sanctions against bars that are considered “trouble spots,” AG spokesman Zach Hosseini said.

The ABC also ensures bars comply with a requirement that they have valid licenses to serve alcohol and properly display them on their premises. The ABC can recommend not renewing a bar’s license if the bar is deemed troublesome or has a history of violations, Hosseini said.

In this case, La Guira has only one minor violation from 2008, the same year Rodriguez took over the bar, for which it was issued a warning after officials determined the bar didn’t have proper documentation of its liquor license on site. They were also docked for not keeping a full list of employees, according to the ABC.

Beyond that, the bar has had several incidents of gun violence this year, leading Rodriguez to direct his bouncer to frisk people at the door for weapons, he said. That hasn’t always worked, and in March, 33-year-old convicted felon Rasheem Ingram was arrested and charged after his gun went off in the bar, leaving a single bullet hole in the ceiling.

Then there was Smalley’s murder, which prosecutors said happened sometime after Brown and Smalley met up outside the bar on July 12. Brown claims he didn’t shoot Smalley and only met with him to clear the air after someone had made an attempt on his life a week earlier at the same bar.

The bar was also the site of a street fight that led to a pair of police brutality lawsuits being filed against city cops and the indictment of officer Nidia Colon, who was charged last year with official misconduct for allegedly beating up a woman who attended a birthday party at the bar in February 2012.

The murders are only part of it for the owner of Ann’s Place, a bar that is across the street from La Guira. The owner of that establishment told the Trentonian she is worried about unsavory people congregating La Guira, and she and her husband have hired extra security on weekends because of the proximity to La Guira.

Speaking a day after The Treontonian ran a story detailing the bar’s recent problems, Rodriguez vowed to take steps to ensure no one else dies outside his establishment. But offered little in the way of details and said he cannot control his customers once they leave his establishment.

“What’s the right thing to do?” he said. “If I close at 10 p.m., I might as well give my license away. There’s too many guns in Trenton.”

Trentonian reporter Penny Ray contributed to this report.

Scene of Saturday morning Trenton murder has had trouble in the past

Isaac Avilucea — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 18:37:26 -0500

Detectives spent the weekend collecting evidence, including surveillance footage from two city bars, they hope will help them piece together what happened moments before a 39-year-old city man was gunned down outside a bar wracked by a recent spate of gun violence.

Witnesses described hearing panicked screams of patrons fleeing from La Guira Bar when a hail of gunfire broke out in the bar parking lot shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday morning. Some people rushed to help the victim, Patrick Walker, who was slumped on the sidewalk suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Others ran for cover, witnesses said. Police aren’t saying whether anyone got a good glimpse of the suspect, who remains unidentified and at large.

A neighbor said she was awoken by as many as 10 gunshots. The woman, who declined to give her name but owns Ann’s Place, a bar across the street from La Guira, said she peeked out her window around 3 a.m. and saw a man, presumably a witness to the shooting, leaving the scene in a police patrol car.

“Chaos never occurs until after 2 a.m.,” she said.

The bar remained cordoned off with yellow police tape until around 11 a.m., and a police cruiser blocked off part of the murder scene as investigators shuffled in and out of the establishment.

This is the second shooting death this year outside La Guira, which is located at the corner of Poplar Street and North Clinton Avenue, prompting concern from residents and the owner of Ann’s Place, about how the most recent shooting will impact business.

Police were unable to immediately provide information on the number of times they’ve been called out to La Guira in the last year.

But in the past, the owner of Ann’s Place said North Ward bars have been viewed as a hotbed for violence. She said she and her husband, who co-own the bar, have done their best to ensure patrons feel safe, hiring additional security and bouncers on weekends.

In particular, La Guira has been plagued by gun violence dating back to March, when 33-year-old convicted felon Rasheem Ingram was arrested and charged after he opened fire inside the packed bar, leaving a single bullet hole in the ceiling.

Then in July, 20-year-old Enrico Smalley Jr. was shot in the head outside of the establishment. Police later arrested and charged 30-year-old Shaheed Brown with Smalley’s murder. But his attorney has raised doubt about whether his client was the shooter, claiming he was at the bar with Smalley to clear the air about an attempt on his life that allegedly took place the week before at La Guira.

The bar was also the site of a street fight that culminated in a pair of police brutality lawsuits being filed against city cops and the indictment of officer Nidia Colon, who was charged last year with official misconduct for allegedly beating up a woman who attended a birthday party at the bar in February 2012.

The melee, which reportedly involved several city cops, was captured by nearly two dozen surveillance cameras. Shortly after that, bar owner Martin Rodriguez said Trenton police routinely visited his bar and cut him tickets for noise complaints and being over capacity as retaliation for the indictment of one of their own.

Rodriguez wasn’t at the bar Sunday afternoon and couldn’t be reached by phone to comment on the most recent shooting. A woman at the cash register who identified herself as a relative of Rodriguez said detectives had been at the bar downloading footage of Saturday’s shooting. The bar recently had problems storing the surveillance footage onto its hard drive, she said, but Saturday’s shooting appeared to be captured in full. Detectives from the Mercer County Homicide Task Force also visited Ann’s Place sometime Sunday to retrieve footage. The owner said those tapes are stored for 10 days before they’re recorded over.

Man shot and killed Saturday morning outside of La Guira Bar

Penny Ray — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 08:18:40 -0500

A city man was shot and killed Saturday morning outside of La Guira Bar.

Police say they were notified about a shooting in progress at the corner of Poplar Street and North Clinton Avenue around 2 a.m. Saturday. When officers arrived on-scene, they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim, who was later identified as 39-year-old Patrick V. Walker, was then taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Patrick Walker

There are two bars located at the intersection of Poplar and North Clinton: La Guira Bar and Ann's Place. That location sometimes draws large crowds of people, especially when the bars are closing on early Saturday and Sunday mornings. The area was extremely quiet around 7 a.m. Saturday while police guarded the crime scene. As people drove by on their way to handle morning business, many of them stopped to ask how many victims had died. The expression on their faces showed that they were all too familiar with violence in the city, and some of them shook their head in disgust as they drove away.

For most of Saturday morning, police blocked the street so traffic could not pass through the active crime scene. At least 17 evidence markers littered the street and sidewalk.

So far this year, two people have been gunned down outside of La Guira Bar. Enrico Smalley Jr. was shot and killed in that location on July 12. It’s not exactly clear whether businesses can be sanctioned for the amount of violence that occurs outside its buildings. But police say they are actively looking for ways to prevent crime in the various “hot spots” throughout the city.

Police guard and process the crime scene outside of La Guira Bar where a man was shot and killed on Dec. 13, 2014. (Penny Ray - Trentonian)

"There was a homicide at the corner previously this year and we've had a couple of other incidents that have occurred in that area," Trenton Police Lt. Steven Varn said. "It's an area that we are keeping an eye on. When these things happen, we always look to see if there's something we can do to stop it, or if there's some type of violation that's going on that needs to be addressed."

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force is investigating the case. Anyone with information about the murder is asked to call (609) 989-6406. Or use the Trenton police confidential tip line at (609) 989-3663. Tipsters may also call the Trenton Crime Stoppers tipline at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.