Passaic County officials announce that based upon an investigation by the Paterson Police Department, Dariel Garcia, 24-years-old from Paterson, was arrested in relation to a shooting investigation that took place April 8, 2017, in the area of East 21st Street and 18th Avenue in Paterson.
According to county officials, Dariel Garcia is charged with two counts of Attempted Murder, Unlawful Possession of a Handgun and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in relation to the April 8, 2017 incident.
Officials have said that Mr. Garcia is also charged with Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Resisting Arrest, a Disorderly Persons Offense and Obstructing a Governmental Function, a Disorderly Persons Office, in relation to items recovered during Mr. Garcia’s arrest on February 27, in the area of Market Street and Pennington Street in Paterson.
According to police, on April 8, 2017, at approximately 1:09 a.m., members of the Paterson Police Department were dispatched to the area of East 21st Street and 18th Avenue in Paterson, on a report of a shooting.
Police report that while en route, members of the Paterson Police Department were advised that a 31-year-old male Paterson resident and a 35-year-old male Paterson resident had arrived at Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, seeking treatment for non-fatal gunshot wounds.
Detectives subsequently located a crime scene in the area of East 21st Street and 18th Avenue in Paterson.
Based on the investigation, Dariel Garcia was identified and an arrest warrant was issued on April 10, 2017. The matter was presented to the Passaic County Grand Jury which returned an indictment for all charges on December 20, 2017.
According to police, on February 27, at approximately 10:50 p.m. members of the Paterson Police Department were in the area of Market Street and Pennington Street in Paterson, when they noticed a large group of individuals obstructing a public passage.
Police said that one of the individuals, later identified as Dariel Garcia, fled while holding his waistband. Mr. Garcia was stopped in the area of Market Street and East 19th Street and police recovered a handgun that dropped when Mr. Garcia fell to the pavement.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office asks anyone with additional information about this incident to contact them on their tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org or contact the Paterson Police Ceasefire Unit at 973-321-1342.