A 4th man was arrested today for felony murder in connection with the shooting deaths of two men at an Absecon Boulevard motel/hotel in March 2015, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner announced.
On March 1, 2015 at 4:58 a.m., in response to a 9-1-1 call, Absecon Police officers responded to the Red Roof Inn on East Absecon Boulevard.
Upon arrival, police found two men dead inside the hotel of gunshot wounds. The victims were identified as Diante Owens, 22, of Pleasantville, and Gerald Alvarez, 22, of Mays Landing.
Two other men—Donnell Nicholas, 22, of Atlantic City and Zackery M. Geckeler, 22, of Galloway Township—arrived at the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center—City Division Trauma Unit later the same morning, both with gunshot injuries.
The State alleges that Diante Owens and the four men listed below were engaged in “the commission of, or an attempt to commit, or flight after committing or attempting to commit the crime of robbery, during which” Gerald Alvarez was killed.
The State also alleges that the targets of the robbery were themselves armed with handguns, were inside a rented hotel/motel room engaged in drug distribution, and that gunshots were fired on both sides.
Criminally charged on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office were:
Brian Bennett, 25, Pleasantville, Aaquile Reeves, 20, of Absecon; Tywan Dixon, 22, of Pleasantville, and Donnell Nicholas, 24, of Atlantic City.
The four men were charged with:
Felony Murder (of Gerald Alvarez)—a crime of the 1st degree,
Robbery—a 1st degree crime,
Conspiracy to Commit Robbery—a 2nd degree crime,
Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose—a 2nd degree crime, and
Unlawful Possession of a Handgun (without obtaining a permit to carry)—a 2nd degree crime.
Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Michael Blee set bail on the four defendants at $750,000 / no 10%.
On August 23, 2016, Brian Bennett was arrested in Pleasantville without incident by Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit Detectives and Pleasantville Police officers, and was lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
Aaquile Reeves was arrested the same day at the Atlantic County Justice Facility, where he was being held on an unrelated matter. Reeves was served the criminal complaints and processed for the arrest by ACPO Major Crime Unit detectives, and returned to the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
Law enforcement continued the search for Tywan Dixon and Donnell Nicholas, who remained at-large, fugitives from justice.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office also charged the occupants of the hotel room:
Trevor S. Murray, 22, of Mays Landing, Zackery M. Geckeler, 23, of Galloway Township, NJ, and Ashley A. Villari, 23, of Mays Landing, with:
* Possession of Xanax with Intent to Distribute—a crime of the 3rd degree,
* Possession of a Handgun While Committing a Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) offense—a 2nd degree crime,
* Unlawful Possession of a Knife—4th degree,
* Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose—2nd degree, and
* Unlawful Possession of a Handgun (without obtaining a permit to carry)—a 3rd degree crime.
Trevor Murray was also charged with Possession of a Weapon (Firearm and Knife) By a Convicted Felon—a 4th degree crime.
Ashley Villari was also charged with Possession With Intent to Distribute Marijuana—a 3rd degree crime.
On August 24, 2016, Detectives of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Hamilton Township Police Department arrested Villari in Hamilton Township, Hamilton Township Police officers arrested Geckeler in Hamilton Township, both arrests effected without incident. Trevor Murray surrendered himself to Prosecutor’s Office detectives the same day.
Villari, Geckeler, and Murray were processed for the arrest, and lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on bail set by Judge Blee at $75,000 / no 10%.
On August 30, 2016, Tywan Dixon was located and arrested by members of the Anne Arundel County Police Fugitive Apprehension Team at the Cedar Creek Apartment Complex on Woodhill Drive, Glen Burnie, Maryland. Dixon was lodged in the Anne Arundel Detention Center.
The next day, Dixon waived extradition and was transported to the Atlantic County Justice Facility by Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit detectives, and lodged there on $750,000 / no 10% bail set by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Michael Blee.
Today, Tuesday, May 16, 2017, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and members of the Atlantic City Police Department arrested Donnell Nicholas without incident at a residence on the 300 block of Rosemont Avenue, Atlantic City. Nicholas has been a fugitive since bail had been set.
A 1st court appearance for Nicholas is tentatively scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, May 17, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. in Atlantic County Superior Court.
Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 609-909-7666.