By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Atlantic County announced that Howard Griswold, 24, of Baldwinsville, NY, and Melissa Tikarem, 28, of Manlius, NY, were taken into custody in the Syracuse, NY area by detectives from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Major Crimes Unit with assistance from the Syracuse Police Department and the Syracuse FBI Field Office.
Officials stated in connection with the January 20, 2024, death of Christian Hunter, 32, from Atlantic City.
Tikarem was arrested on January 29, 2024, and Griswold was arrested on February 9, 2024, officials said.
According to officials, both Griswold and Tikarem were charged with Murder and Robbery.
Officials say on January 20, 2024, at approximately 7:19 p.m., the Atlantic City Police Department received a ShotSpotter alert for multiple gunshots in the area of 119 N. Virginia Avenue.
Authorities say officers arrived at the scene and located Hunter unresponsive on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds.
He was transported to the AtlantiCare Medical Center, City Division, where he was pronounced deceased, officials stated.
A subsequent autopsy procedure performed by the New Jersey South Regional Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound, officials say, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide, officials say.
This investigation was conducted by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Major Crimes Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit.
Both Griswold and Tikarem are awaiting extradition to Atlantic County, officials said.