By: Richard L. Smith
A violent confrontation in the parking lot of a busy Newark shopping center turned deadly Monday evening, leaving a 56-year-old East Orange man fatally stabbed and a longtime city sanitation worker charged with his murder.
According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the violent dispute erupted in the parking lot of the Newark Central Ward ShopRite, where Rodney J. Mayes lost his life following an altercation that spiraled out of control.
RLS Media learned that the conflict may have stemmed from the city's unregulated “gypsy cab” operation—a shadowy but essential service for many Newark residents without cars.
Sources indicate that the suspect, a Newark City sanitation collection technician with more than 25 years on the job, engaged in a heated argument with Mayes over customer competition.
Gaines reportedly used the service to make additional money to support his life style.
Witnesses told RLS Media the verbal clash quickly escalated into a physical altercation, culminating in Mayes being viciously stabbed.
It could not be confirmed by officials which individual brought the knife to the encounter.
Following the attack, Gaines fled the scene but was later apprehended by detectives.
Mayes was rushed to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officials have charged the sanitation worker with murder, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, and additional weapons offenses.
For many residents, the tragedy stresses long-standing fears about the deteriorating conditions at the shopping center’s parking lot, which has become a hotbed for criminal activity and violent disputes.
The presence of unauthorized ride services—often operated by city employees or off-the-books drivers competing for fares—has turned what was once a routine supermarket trip into an increasingly tense and unpredictable ordeal.
“This parking lot has been out of control for years,” said one frequent shopper. “People fight over passengers, over parking spots—over anything. And now, someone is dead.”
Illicit drug operations, panhandling, and vehicle burglaries are just a few of the many issues plaguing this much-needed shopping center in the heart of Newark.
Meanwhile, the only other large-scale supermarket in the city is Whole Foods, located downtown.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation. No further information was available at this time.