Two Jersey City men have been charged in the murder of a 17-year-old Lincoln High School student that was fatally shot late last month, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Yesterday, members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit arrested Alterik Ellis, 25, and Travis Defoe, 28, both of Jersey City, in connection with the murder of Jade Saunders on October 26 in a shooting incident on Brinkerhoff Street, Suarez said in a statement.
Ellis, 25, of Jersey City, was arrested without incident on Lexington Street at approximately 11:20 a.m. Defoe, 28, of Jersey City, was arrested without incident on Lexington Street shortly after noon, authorities said.
Ellis and Defoe have each been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, three counts of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon (firearm) for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and theft of moveable property, officials said.
Ellis and Defoe were processed and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny to await their first appearance.
Suarez credited the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit for the investigation and arrest with the assistance of the Jersey City Police Department.
On Friday, October 26, 2018, at approximately 11:35 p.m., the Jersey City Police Department received a report of shots fired in the area of 76 Brinkerhoff St. Upon arrival, officers found an unresponsive female victim at that location with an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body, authorities said.
The victim, identified as Saunders, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office has found the cause of death to be a gunshot wound and the manner of death to be homicide, police said.
A second victim, 26, of Jersey City, was found at the scene. He suffered a gunshot injury to a lower extremity. He was transported by Emergency Medical Services to the Jersey City Medical Center where he was treated and then later released, officials said.
During the investigation into the incident, it was determined by members of the Homicide Unit that two additional shooting victims who did not remain at the scene had also been injured, authorities said.
One of the additional victims, 19, from Jersey City, sustained a gunshot-graze wound to his torso and the other victim, 19, also from Jersey City, sustained a gunshot wound to one of his upper extremities, police said.
