Teen charged in shooting death of Trenton father who tried to thwart carjacking
TRENTON - Prosecutors in Trenton have charged a 17-year-old boy with murder after they say he shot and killed a father who tried to stop him from stealing his car with two children inside.
The unnamed teen was taken into custody Monday by federal agents in the July 12 shooting death of 27-year-old Yony Emmanuel Cruz-Rodriguez.
Investigators say Cruz-Rodriguez was standing near the open trunk of his Dodge Durango parked in a driveway when the teenage suspect got into the driver's seat and attempted to drive away.
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Man killed in carjacking while protecting his children in New Jersey: officials
Trenton Mayor Walter Reed Gusciora is speaking out after officials say a young man lost his life during a carjacking incident while his kids were in the car Friday night.
Cruz-Rodriguez, according to police, tried to climb into the back of the moving vehicle when witnesses heard multiple gunshots. The vehicle struck two parked cars and overturned near Garfield and Farragut avenues and the teen fled.
Responding officers found Cruz-Rodriguez shot to death inside the crashed car, and two children strapped into their car seats unharmed.
The teen, who has not been publicly identified, has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree carjacking and other crimes.