A grand jury has returned a two-count indictment against an Elizabeth man charged with killing a pedestrian in Linden and fleeing the scene earlier this year, acting Union County Prosecutor Thomas K. Isenhour announced Friday.
Eduardo Perez, 33, is charged with second-degree vehicular homicide and second-degree leaving the scene of a fatal accident in connection with the death of 23-year-old Mujahid Henry of Newark.
According to authorities, at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Friday, May 12th, Linden Police Department patrol units responded to the 1200 block of East Linden Avenue on a report of a motor vehicle incident, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Spagnoli, who is prosecuting the case.
An investigation led by the Linden Police Department Accident Investigation Team determined that a 2007 Ford Escape traveling eastbound at that location struck Henry, who was thrown into a nearby parked car and pronounced dead at the scene, Spagnoli said.
The investigation, assisted by the Prosecutor’s Office’s Homicide Task Force, Union County Police Department Fatal Accident Reconstruction Team, and Union County Sheriff’s Office Identification Unit, determined that after allegedly striking Henry with his vehicle, Perez then drove into Elizabeth and abandoned the SUV on the 700 block of Lidgerwood Avenue, colliding with several parked vehicles in the process.
Perez was located by Elizabeth Police Department patrol units on nearby Kenneth Avenue moments later and arrested.
Convictions on second-degree criminal charges are commonly punishable by 5 to 10 years in state prison.
These criminal charges are mere accusations. Each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related story: https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/elizabeth-man-charged-death-auto-fatal-strike-newark-man