By: Yuritza Arroyo
Passaic County authorities announced that based upon an investigation by the Passaic Police Department, Emmanuel Bernard, 18, from Clifton; Nahzair Ellen, 21, from Passaic; Afranni Ferreira, 18, from Clifton, Izaiah Hernandez, 21 from Passaic; Rhyonne Jackson, 21, from Passaic, and Ernest Wilder, 20, from Passaic, were arrested in relation to a shooting that occurred on June 18, in the area Brinkerhoff Place and Van Winkle Avenue in Passaic.
According to officials, Emmanuel Bernard is charged with three counts of Aggravated Assault, Second Degree; Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Second Degree; three counts of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Second Degree; and Criminal Mischief, Fourth Degree.
Officials said Afranni Ferreira, Izaiah Hernandez and Ernest Wilder are all charged with Aggravated Assault, Second Degree; Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault, Second Degree; Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Second Degree; Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Second Degree; and Criminal Mischief, Fourth Degree.
Nahzair Ellen and Rhyonne Jackson are both charged with Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault, Second Degree.
On June 18, at approximately 5:46 a.m., members of the Passaic Police Department responded to the area of Van Winkle Avenue and Brinkerhoff Place in Passaic, on a report of shots fired.
According to Police, upon arrival, officers located a crime scene, but no victim was located.
Based on the investigation, police determined that Emmanuel Bernard had fired a handgun at a Honda Accord driving on Brinkerhoff Place in Passaic.
As Emmanuel Bernard fired at the Honda, three men exited from a Jeep Cherokee and fired shots at Bernard as he was shooting at the Honda Accord.
According to the authorities, an investigation by the Passaic Police Department’s Detective Bureau led to the identification of Afranni Ferrreira, Izaiah Hernandez and Ernest Wilder as being the three men who exited the Jeep and fired shots at Emmanuel Bernard, and to the identification of Nazhair Ellen and Rhyonne Jackson as co- conspirators with Ferreira, Hernandez and Wilder.
The State has filed motions for pretrial detention against Nahzair Ellen, Afranni Ferreira, Izaiah Hernandez, and Ernest Wilder that will be heard on June 28.
The State has filed a motion for pretrial detention against Emmanuel Bernard that will be heard on June 30.