By: Richard L. Smith
Bergen officials have announced the arrests of two individuals in connection with a falsely reported shooting incident that took place in Garfield.
Prosecutor Mark Musella said the suspects, 18-year-old Damien I. Flores of Garfield and 22-year-old Samantha N. Delacruz of Elmwood Park was apprehended following an investigation into the events surrounding the reported incident.
On Friday, July 26, 2024, a gunshot victim sought treatment at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Paterson.
The Paterson Police Department was immediately notified and responded to the hospital, where they identified Damien Flores as the victim.
Flores told law enforcement that he had been shot in a drive-by shooting near Belmont Park in Garfield.
In response to the report, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Squad, along with the Garfield Police Department, initiated a joint investigation.
Further investigation revealed inconsistencies in the story provided by Flores and Delacruz, who had driven him to the hospital.
According to detectives, the investigation determined that there had been no drive-by shooting near Belmont Park.
Instead, it was discovered that the gunshot wound to Flores' leg was accidental and self-inflicted, occurring inside Delacruz’s vehicle in the early hours of July 26.
As a result, on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, both Flores and Delacruz were arrested by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Garfield Police Department.
Flores faces charges of unlawful possession of a weapon and providing a false report to law enforcement. He has been remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a court appearance.
Delacruz has been charged with hindering and providing a false report to law enforcement and has been released pending her court appearance in Bergen County Superior Court.
Authorities are urging the public to report any additional information regarding this case to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.