MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A man was shot Wednesday, Dec. 4, on 45th Street in Maplewood, according information sent to the News-Record from Maplewood Police Chief Jimmy DeVaul; his information came from a report of the incident made by Lt. Peter Kuenzel. Two days later, Maplewood police arrested a juvenile male for the shooting.
At 6:11 p.m. Maplewood officers responded to the Wawa at 1511 Springfield Ave. in Maplewood, on a report of a gunshot victim at the location. A police investigation revealed that a 28-year-old male had sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the upper thigh. The incident had occurred on 45th Street, which intersects with the parking lot at Wawa.
The injured victim was transported to University Hospital in Newark for further care.
According to a Dec. 9 update from DeVaul, the alleged perpetrator, who was last seen fleeing the area on foot south on Chancellor Avenue toward Irvington, had been captured on video. Detectives had then focused their investigation on identifying the suspect, locating possible witnesses and obtaining a statement from the victim.
On Dec. 6 at 6 p.m., Maplewood detectives and officers responded to assist the Irvington Police Department in the area of Springfield Avenue and Headley Terrace with an incident in their jurisdiction. While on scene, detectives observed an individual matching the description of the alleged perpetrator from the shooting two days prior. As detectives attempted to identify the suspect, he allegedly fled on foot. The suspect was pursued by officers and taken into custody shortly after without further incident. Through the course of their investigation, Maplewood detectives identified the suspect and determined that the alleged perpetrator and victim knew each other. The dispute had reportedly originated in Irvington.
The alleged perpetrator, a 17-year-old male, was charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He was processed and transported to Essex County Juvenile Detention Center.
“I want to thank and recognize the hard work of our detectives and patrol officers who worked tirelessly to bring this case to a conclusion as quickly as they could,” Devaul said in the Dec. 9 statement. “I want to reassure our residents of their safety and that all parties involved in this incident reside in Irvington and there is no connection to Maplewood. This was not a random act of violence. Residents can expect an increased police presence to include foot patrols in the area as well.”
The charges against this juvenile are accusations; the defendant is considered innocent unless or until he is found guilty or pleads guilty in a court of law.
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