April 8, 2022

Newark Man Found Guilty of Triple Homicide Sentenced to 375 Years in New Jersey State Prison

Newark – Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II, announced today that Jeremy Arrington, 32, of Newark was sentenced to 375 years for murdering three people and attempting to murder three more after becoming enraged over a Facebook comment.

The Honorable Ronald D. Wigler, the judge who presided over Arrington’s 10-day jury trial, gave Arrington three consecutive life sentences for fatally stabbing two young siblings, Ariel Little Whitehurst, a seven-year-old female, and her 11-year-old brother, Al-Jahon Whitehurst, as well as shooting to death, Syasia McBurroughs, a 23-year-old friend of the family who was just visiting on November 5, 2016.

On March 4, Arrington was convicted of 28 counts, including three counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, burglary, criminal restraint, unlawful possession of a handgun, unlawful possession of a knife, and possession of a handgun and a knife for an unlawful purpose.

In addition to the three consecutive life sentences for murder, today, Judge Wigler imposed consecutive 50-year sentences for each of the three attempted murder convictions for the surviving victims. Under the No Early Release Act, Arrington would have to serve a total of 281 years of his 375-year sentence before being eligible for parole.

Under New Jersey law, a life sentence is 75 years. A defendant sentenced to life must serve 63 years and nine months before he is eligible for parole.

On Saturday Nov. 5, 2016 Arrington unlawfully entered the Whitehurst home located in the 100 block of Hedden Terrace in Newark while armed with a loaded firearm. The evidence at trial revealed Arrington then tied up the individuals located inside the apartment and proceeded to torture them by stabbing them with kitchen knives. The stabbings resulted in the death of the two children. The defendant then shot and killed McBurroughs, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The children were pronounced dead at University Hospital. Three other stabbing victims were saved by emergency medical personnel. One of the survivors of the stabbing, a 29-year-old female, is the mother of the two murdered children. The other two surviving stab victims, a 13-year-old male and his twin 13-year-old sister, were siblings of the 29-year-old female. Police were able to respond because a young girl with autism, who is unrelated to the family and was just visiting, escaped and called for help from her phone in a closet.

Arrington fled the scene before the police were able to apprehend him. Arrington was captured the next day, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 barricaded in a residence in the 200 block of Pomona Avenue.

Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab, who tried the case with Assistant Prosecutor Chelsea Coleman, argued for six consecutive life sentences given the number of people who were tortured and killed and Arrington’s lengthy prior criminal record. From 2006 to 2016, the year of the triple homicide, Arrington was arrested ten times. He had four felony convictions and had three different pending charges when he entered the Whitehurst home that day in November.

Following the sentencing, Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Edwab, said, “Justice has been served. This defendant is pure evil and clearly deserves all 375 years in New Jersey State Prison for the terrible crimes he committed on Nov. 5, 2016. These families have waited over 5 years for this moment, and we are all so grateful for this sentence. Thank you to all those who helped bring this defendant to justice and thank you to the jury for holding this defendant accountable.”

Assistant Prosecutor Coleman said, “While nothing can bring back the lives of Ariel, Al-Jahon, and Syasia, we hope today’s sentence will provide some sense of closure to their families.”

Man Convicted of Triple Murder

Newark – Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II, announced today that an Essex County jury has convicted Jeremy Arrington, 31, of a triple murder. He was convicted of murdering a female college student as well as two children.

The two children, Ariel Little Whitehurst, a seven year-old, and her 11-year-old brother, Al-Jahon Whitehurst, were stabbed to death by the defendant. The third victim, Syasia McBurroughs, 23, an adult female, was shot to death.

Late yesterday, following a ten-day jury trial before the Honorable Ronald D. Wigler, J.S.C., Arrington was convicted of 28 counts, including the three counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, burglary, criminal restraint, unlawful possession of a handgun, unlawful possession of a knife, and possession of a handgun and a knife for an unlawful purpose.

At trial the State presented 25 witnesses, including 9 expert witnesses, and successfully argued that on the afternoon of Saturday Nov. 5, 2016 Arrington unlawfully entered the Whitehurst home located in the 100 block of Hedden Terrace in Newark while armed with a loaded firearm. The proofs revealed Arrington then tied up the individuals located inside the apartment and proceeded to torture them by stabbing them with kitchen knives. The stabbings resulted in the death of the two children. The defendant then shot and killed the adult female. The children were pronounced dead at University Hospital and the adult female was pronounced dead at the scene.

Emergency medical personnel were able to save three of the stabbed victims. The surviving victims of the stabbings included a 29-year-old female, a 13-year-old male and a 13-year-old female, who are twins. According to Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab, who tried the case with Assistant Prosecutor Chelsea Coleman, the police were able to respond before more lives were lost as a result of young girl with autism who escaped and called for help from her phone in a closet.
“The loss of three lives and the anguish caused by this defendant is unfathomable,” said Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Edwab.
Arrington subsequently fled the scene before the police were able to apprehend him. Shortly before 8 p.m., on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 Arrington was discovered barricaded in a residence in the 200 block of Pomona Avenue and stated he had a hostage. Police discovered that the hostage allegation was false and Arrington was arrested without incident.

The attack was apparently prompted by a comment on Facebook.

“We are forever grateful to the courageous survivors and witnesses who testified as well as the investigative personnel who helped bring this defendant to justice. Hopefully this verdict will bring some form of justice to all of the families and friends affected by this defendant’s horrific actions” stated Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Edwab

Sentencing is scheduled for April 8 before the Judge Wigler. Arrington faces multiple life sentences

Newark – Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II, announced today that an Essex County jury has convicted Jeffrey Holland, 30, of East Orange of triple murder for the killing of Tiniquah Rouse, 21, Ashley Jones, 23, and Jarrell Marshall, 28.

Following a trial before the Honorable Ronald D. Wigler, the presiding Essex County Criminal Division Judge, the jury deliberated for a day before convicting Holland on all 17 counts.

In addition to being convicted of the three murders, the jury also found Holland guilty of desecration of human remains, hindering, felony murder, burglary, theft, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

At the end of the trial, the jury was brought back to deliberate on a separate count and found Holland guilty of being a convicted felon with a weapon.

“After almost three years of waiting, the Rouse, Jones and Marshall families finally have justice for the horrific murders of Tiniquah, Ashley and Jarrell. This result could not have been accomplished without the tireless efforts of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force and the witnesses who came forward,” said Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab, who tried the case. “With this verdict today, this defendant will no longer be a threat to society.’’

On Jan. 29, 2016, Holland went to 29 Stratford Place, Newark, the residence of Rouse, 21, with whom he had a romantic relationship, and strangled and drowned her. Holland subsequently put Rouse’s five-month old baby boy in a closet in the apartment before leaving the apartment. Law enforcement later found Rouse in her apartment bathroom deceased and mutilated. The baby boy was found unharmed.

The next day, Holland went to 336 Clinton Place, Jones’ apartment. Holland kicked in the apartment door and shot Jones and Marshall. Jones and Marshall had recently started dating. Jones and Holland previously dated but had broken up. Three children were located inside the apartment when the police arrived. The children included two children that Jones and Holland had together as well as a child of Marshall’s. They were not physically harmed.

At trial, Holland admitted killing Rouse but claimed it was an accident. He denied have anything to do with the murders of Jones and Marshall.

Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 26, 2019. He faces life in prison.

Newark — Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino announced today that four men have entered guilty pleas, admitting their role in a West Orange home invasion in which a husband and wife and a young child were terrorized.

The defendants Eduard Bentura, 33, Yodelin Diaz, 25, Lidio Martinez Miese, 30, and Jesus Quinones, 38, all of Jersey City, pled guilty today before the Honorable Martin Cronin, Judge of the Superior Court. Under the terms of the plea agreement they are expected to be sentenced to 15 years in New Jersey State Prison with an 85 percent period of parole ineligibility. They are scheduled to be sentenced on April 6.

Three of the four defendants are not U.S. citizens and will be deported back to the Dominican Republic after they serve their prison term. One defendant, Quinones is an American citizen. Only Bentura had a prior conviction for burglary. This is a first offense for the others.

“This just result would not be possible if not for the bravery and vigilance of the victims in the face of danger, as well as the prompt and thorough efforts of the West Orange Police Department,” said Assistant Prosecutor Jason Goldberg, who handled the case.

According to Assistant Prosecutor Goldberg, on June 8, 2017 the four armed men broke into the family home as the husband was returning from IKEA and unloading the car. They tied the husband up with zip-ties and assaulted him demanding cash. The wife, who was holding an infant, was threatened at gunpoint. They began heating a knife on the stove and threatened the husband that they would kill his wife and child if he didn’t open a safe, where they believed there was cash.

During the course of the incident, the wife bravely alerted family and the police via text with a hidden cell phone. Realizing there was a surveillance system, the intruders demanded the equipment before fleeing, tripping an alarm.

The four were captured on Route 280 by West Orange police with the video equipment, cash, guns, zip ties and masks. Although they took part of the surveillance equipment the entire incident was captured on cameras that were still intact.

In 2017, an Essex County grand jury indicted the defendants on 17 counts of conspiracy, robbery, burglary, criminal restraint, terroristic threats, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and tampering with evidence.

Yesterday, they pled guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery, armed robbery, burglary, and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Acting Prosecutor Laurino commended the West Orange Police Department for their exceptional work in this case.

Passaic Man Enters Guilty Plea at Start Home Invasion Trial

Newark – Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino announced today that Peter Kopic, 38, of Passaic pled guilty to an Irvington home invasion robbery, one day after the start of his trial before the Honorable Siobhan A. Teare, Judge of the Superior Court.

Kopic entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit burglary, burglary, robbery, and impersonating a law enforcement officer. In exchange for his plea, four counts of kidnapping were dismissed.

According to Assistant Prosecutor Jason Goldberg, who was trying the case, on Aug. 6, 2011 Kopic and an unidentified man went to an Irvington apartment on Manor Drive dressed as police officers, saying they were there to execute a search warrant. Once they gained entry to the apartment, they tied up two women in the house with zip ties, put them in a back room and stole thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry from the apartment.

A five-year-old and an 11-month-old were confined in the bedroom with the women during the home invasion.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Kopic is expected to be sentenced to eight years in state prison when he is sentenced on Nov. 3. He must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

“This case shows that even after six years of the defendant avoiding prosecution, that a community and neighbors will bravely come together when called upon to stand up to a predator who preyed upon defenseless women and children for his own personal gain. While the defendant ran from these charges for six long years, the combined effort of law enforcement and the community continued the pursuit of justice and ensured that the defendant was held accountable for this horrible home invasion,’’ said Assistant Prosecutor Goldberg.

Kopic has one prior conviction from 2004 for leaving the scene of an accident.

Benkowski is wanted for setting the campaign bus of mayoral candidate Ras Baraka on fire on Feb. 16. A warrant has been issued for his arrest charging him with 3rd degree arson, 3rd degree criminal mischief and 3rd degree burglary.

During the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 16, the campaign bus parked in Newark at 423 Central Avenue, in front of the Baraka campaign headquarters, was torched and sugar was put in the engine. Through surveillance and other technology investigators with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Task Force learned a white Chevy Express van was involved in the arson.

On March 7 investigators located the 2007 Chevy Express van. It was pulled over in the vicinity of Morris and Central Avenue in Newark. At that time, the van was driven by Shareef Q. Nash, 35, of South Orange. Nash has not been charged with any crime. The vehicle is registered to Prestige Professional Management, LLC, located in Newark.

It is alleged that Benkowski used the van in connection with the arson. Benkowski is currently at-large.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 1-877-847-7432.

The investigation is active and ongoing and additional arrests are possible. Acting Prosecutor Murray commended the legal and investigative team for their excellent work on this case.

These are accusations. All defendants are considered innocent unless and until they either enter a guilty plea or are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.