Police identified a recent murder victim as a man accused of being involved in criminal activity that led to a fatal shooting by Lyndhurst NJ police last September.
According to authorities, the 31-year-old man was murdered in March. Newark NJ police officers found him in the courtyard of an apartment building. The complex is near the intersection of South 10th Street and Woodland Avenue in the city’s South Ward.
The acting Essex County prosecutor said that the victim was present at the scene of a highly publicized shooting in 2014. The suspect, and a 23-year-old man, allegedly stole a Nissan Armada and then led police officers on a high-speed pursuit through New Jersey.
The suspects were first noticed by police when they reportedly stopped the Nissan and tried to steal another car in North Arlington, New Jersey. After being alerted by the vehicle owner, Lyndhurst police officers chased the men.
The suspects eventually crashed the stolen Nissan into a guardrail on Route 3. Afterwards, police officers surrounded the car and ordered the suspects to surrender. Instead of surrendering, the 23-year-old suspect reportedly attempted to slam the vehicle into a police cruiser.
Lyndhurst police opened fire on the car and killed the 23-year-old suspect. The other suspect was not injured in the shooting.
Police arrested the suspect and charged him with several crimes, including unlawful possession of a weapon, burglary, and receiving stolen property.
The suspect managed to secure his release from police custody by posting $75,000 bail. He was killed while free on bail and awaiting trial in the auto theft case.
Anyone who has information about the homicide should contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide and Major Crimes Task Force at 877-847-7432.
For further information about this case, access the NJ.com article entitled “Newark Murder Victim Was Second Suspect in Lyndhurst Fatal Police Shooting.”