Morris County authorities announced the arrest of Mr. Jose Elizondo-Mena, 51, of Dover.
Police said on June 4, law enforcement received information regarding a deceased male in a wooded area of Dover. Police discovered the dead body of a male, subsequently identified as C.R.R., in a wooded area located at the end of Monmouth Avenue.
According to officials, Morris County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Carlos Fonseca, M.D., performed an autopsy on C.R.R. and identified fractures on both orbital bones, right cheek, and lower right skull.
Dr. Fonseca determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma of the head and face, and the manner of death to be homicide.
Further investigation led to Jose Elizondo-Mena as a suspect in the homicide.
Members of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit traced Elizondo-Mena’s movements to other parts of New Jersey and later to Michigan.
With the assistance of local law enforcement in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Elizondo-Mena was arrested on August 13th.
Officials charged Elizondo-Mena with second-degree Manslaughter and third-degree Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose. Elizondo-Mena remains at the Morris County Jail, pending a detention hearing.
If anyone has any information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to call the Major Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200, or the Town of Dover Police Department at 973-366-0302.