On September 9, 2022, the East Windsor & Hightstown community suffered a devastating loss. Anthony (A.J.) Dewayne Collins Jr., born June 29, 2009, in New Brunswick, N.J., was called home this Friday, September 9, 2022. He grew up in New Brunswick and recently moved to Hightstown, where he attended Melvin H. Kreps Middle School.
His family will always love his bright smile, his love of reading, his fascination with Legos, and the way he took his job as a big brother and uncle seriously.
A.J will be deeply missed by his mother, Elba Quiñones, his father, Anthony Collins, his brothers Christofer and Isaiah, his little sister Analisse, his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and nieces, the staff and students at Gifted & Talented Academy (GTA) at Lincoln Annex, and the Kreps Middle School community. A.J. brought joy wherever he went.
Please consider donating to help the family with the funeral and related costs they will incur.
Please keep A.J.’s family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
This is the official fundraiser for Anthony (A.J.) Dewayne Collins and is being managed by the Kreps PTO.
FREEHOLD – As investigations continue into fatal shootings that claimed the lives of three local men during recent months, authorities are making an urgent plea to the public for more information that might help make the difference in identifying and locating suspects and making arrests.
“One of them had just spent time with his friends. Another had just had dinner with his mom. A third had just stopped by his parents’ house to say hello and was on his way over to see his girlfriend,” Linskey said. “Each of these men had people who loved them dearly and every reason to expect many more years of happiness and prosperity – and each had it all torn away from them in sudden, violent fashion.”
The three fatal shootings, which are not believed to be in any way related, unfolded as follows:
Members of the Neptune Township Police Department responding to a report of a shooting shortly before 11 p.m. on Saturday, May 14 found 39-year-old Marques Mills of Neptune Township inside a vehicle at the intersection of Hillview Drive and Edgemere Road, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. He was subsequently transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on the morning of Sunday, May 15.
Members of the Neptune Township Police Department responding to a location off Route 35 South on a report of a shooting shortly before 1:45 a.m. on Monday, July 4 found 26-year-old Ayres Gray, Jr. of Manalapan in a parked vehicle on South Concourse, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Gray was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead approximately one hour later.
Members of the Asbury Park Police Department responded to a report of gunfire originating from the 1600 block of Sewall Avenue shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 28. Upon arrival at the scene, officers encountered 33-year-old Kyshon Washington-Walker of Shrewsbury, who had sustained multiple gunshot injuries. He was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased a short while later.
The mothers of all three men recently personally shared with members of our office remembrances of their sons – and their complete devastation over losing them.
Gray’s mother recalled that he loved his family and friends deeply and unconditionally. Washington-Walker, known affectionately as “Butey” by his loved ones, had a smile that lit up any room that he was in, according to his mom, and had just started a new job he loved, working as a State-Certified Fire Inspector. Mills’s mother expressed deep pride at how her son had transformed his life and his body through physical fitness, becoming both a certified personal trainer and an entrepreneur designing fitness apparel.
“These families, each of which will never quite be the same, deserve justice for the loss of their loved ones. It is an absolute certainty that there are individuals currently out there in possession of information that would crack each of these cases wide open,” Acting Prosecutor Linskey said. “To them we would say this: please think about these grieving mothers and do the right thing. Contact our Detectives, tell them what you know, and help these families.”
Anyone with information about the fatal shooting of Marques Mills is urged to contact MCPO Detective Matthew Delgado at 800-533-7443 or Neptune Township Police Department Detective Robert Hagerman at 732-988-8000.
Anyone with information about the fatal shooting of Ayres Gray, Jr. is urged to contact MCPO Detective Daniel Newman at 800-533-7443 or Neptune Township Police Detective Carrie Bartlett at 732-988-8000.
Anyone with information about the fatal shooting of Kyshon Washington-Walker is urged to contact MCPO Detective Matthew Delgado at 800-533-7443 or Asbury Park Police Department Detective Anthony Houlis at 732-774-1300.
Anyone who feels the need to remain anonymous, but has information about this or any crime can submit a tip to the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling their confidential telephone tipline at 1-800-671-4400; by downloading and using the free P3 Tips mobile app (available on iOS and Android – https://www.p3tips.com/1182), by calling 800-671-4400, or by going to the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com.
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–A Trenton man has been arrested and charged for murder of Rashee Barlow earlier this month, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri reported.
Anthony Smith, 42, is charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and certain persons not to possess a weapon. He was arrested on September 8, 2022, in Hackensack, NJ, by members of the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force. The prosecutor’s office has filed a motion to detain Smith pending trial.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department. At approximately 7:30 p.m. on September 2, 2022, Trenton police received a Shot Spotter activation and several calls for a shooting. Patrol officers responded to the 200 block of Spring Street and located two shooting victims. Rashee Barlow, 35, of Trenton, was pronounced dead a short time later. A 38-year-old man suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the leg.
Despite having been charged, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Anthony Smith, 42, is charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and certain persons not to possess a weapon.
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–The Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department are investigating a shooting homicide that occurred Sunday morning in the city, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri reported.
At approximately 5:00 a.m. on September 11, 2022, Trenton police responded to a Shot Spotter activation for multiple rounds in the 300 block of Garfield Avenue. Upon arrival, officers located the victim on the sidewalk suffering a gunshot wound to the chest. He was transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The victim has been identified as Chron Jenks, 34, of Ewing.
No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at (609) 989-6406. Information can also be emailed to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.
There have been fourteen reported homicides in the City of Trenton in 2022. After a relatively quiet summer this is the second homicide since the mayor made an announcement at the end of August that mentioned three months without a homicide in the City of Trenton.
Last year at this same time there were 22 homicides in the City of Trenton as of September 11, 2021. This year there have 14 homicides. There is still much work to be done but Trenton seems to be moving in the right direction with a 36% reduction in homicides for 2022.
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