According to Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, on March 13, 2020, members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit arrested and charged Eric Ballon, 33, of East Orange, in connection with the March 6, 2020 murder of Rashawn Bethea in Jersey City.
Officials say he was arrested without incident at the Essex County Correctional Facility where he was being held on unrelated charges.
Officials charged Ballon with Murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3, a first-degree crime; Possession of a Weapon (firearm) for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4a(1), a second-degree crime; and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (firearm) in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b(1), a second-degree crime.
Official say on March 6, 2020, at approximately 11:30 p.m., members of the Jersey City Police Department responded to a report of shots fired in the area of Wegman Parkway between Bergen Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City.
Upon their arrival, officers located a male later identified as Rashawn Bethea, 28, of Jersey City, suffering from gunshot wounds to his torso.
According to officials, Bethea was pronounced dead at approximately 11:45 p.m.
The Cause of death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds and the Manner of death was determined to be homicide.
Prosecutor Suarez credited the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit for the investigation and arrest with the assistance of the East Orange Police Department and the Jersey City Police Department.
The above charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. R.P.C.3.6(b)(6).