Officials announced the arrests of three men charged Friday in the death of nine-year-old Jennifer Trejo who was killed in her Church Street home by a stray bullet following a shooting on Elmer Street last month.
According to authorities, detectives from the Bridgeton Police Dept. and Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime and Organized Crime bureaus today arrested Michael L. Elliott, 25, Leroy Frazier 3rd, 20,
and Charles Gamble, 18.
Officials say all three men were charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and weapons offenses and were remanded to the Cumberland County Jail without bail.
Chief Police Michael Gaimari, Sr. said the arrests were made without incident and that Frazier was arrested at his residence, Elliott at his place of employment in Bridgeton and Gamble at his residence in Salem. He added that several search warrants were also executed in the city including the residences of both Elliott and Frazier and that at least one handgun was recovered in addition to a substantial amount of suspected heroin and a small amount of crack cocaine.
As a result of the search warrants, additional charges of possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled and dangerous substance (heroin) were lodged against Elliott and possession of narcotics charges against Frazier for the crack cocaine.
“The investigation remains open and active,” the Chief said, “nothing will bring Jennifer back, but the fact that those who we believe are responsible are off the street helps reassure the public that these actions will not be tolerated and those responsible held accountable.”
Officials say both McRae and Gaimari lauded the efforts of both their respective staffs including prosecutors, detectives and officers from different units within their agencies who have been working tirelessly on the investigation for the past six weeks and will continue to do so.
At this time, no further information will be released since the investigation remains “ongoing” and that additional arrests and/or charges may follow.
Anyone with information pertaining to this investigation to contact Bridgeton Det. Mark Yoshioka at 856-392-9031 of Prosecutor’s Office Det. Harvey Calixto at 856-207-2999 or utilize the anonymous text tip option TIP411 (847411) subtext “Bridgeton.”