An Elizabeth resident has been arrested this morning at his home without incident, being criminally charged with stabbing and killing a man in the City this past Sunday, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, Elizabeth Police Director Earl Graves and Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca jointly announced Friday.
Officials said Mr. Alexis Mondesi, 48, is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and third-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes in connection with the death of Yonatan Alexander Vasquez-Torres, 21, of Elizabeth.
Shortly before 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 10, 2021, members of the Elizabeth Police Department responded to the 300 block of Center Street and found Vasquez-Torres at that location, having sustained a serious stab wound.
He was subsequently pronounced dead, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Cleaver, who is prosecuting the case.
An investigation led by the Union County Homicide Task Force, assisted by the Elizabeth Police Department and the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, resulted in the identification of Mondesi as the murder suspect and led to his eventual capture and arrest.
“As in every case, we are grateful for the collaboration with our partner law enforcement agencies who assisted our Office in locating and apprehending the suspect,” Prosecutor Daniel said.
“And we hope that this arrest can bring some small measure of comfort to all those grieving Mr. Vasquez-Torres.”
Anyone with information about this matter is still urged to contact Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force Detective Ryan Kirsh at 908-347-1420, Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force Detective Patrick Bradley at 908-418-2817 or Elizabeth Police Department Detective William Valladaresat 908-591-4677.