A second arrest was made today in connection with the November 2015 shooting death in Hamilton Township of a Mays Landing man, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.
In response to a 9-1-1 call received at 7:29 p.m. on Monday, November 9, 2015, Hamilton Township Police, Township of Hamilton Rescue personnel, and AtlantiCare paramedics responded to a home on the 5900 block of Elmhurst Drive, Mays Landing. Upon arrival, police found Michael Black, 31, suffering from a gunshot wound.
Black was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center—City Division, where he was later declared dead.
An autopsy performed the next morning by Southern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office Dr. Daksha Shah determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest, and that the manner of death was homicide.
The investigation by detectives of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Hamilton Township Police Department led to the arrest in Galloway Township on November 10, 2015 of Dennis J. Munoz, now 37, of Theresa Court, Galloway Township.
Munoz was charged with murder—a crime of the 1st degree, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a handgun—both crimes of the 2nd degree, and was committed to the Atlantic County Justice Facility on bail set by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Patricia M. Wild at $1,000,000 cash no 10%.
Further investigation led to the arrest today of Edwin V. Velazquez, 42, of the 800 block of Adriatic Avenue, Atlantic City, N.J., charged with conspiracy to commit murder, that he “did ... agree to aid Dennis Munoz in the planning and/or commission of the murder of Michael Black,” and being an accomplice to murder—both crimes of the 1st degree.
Members of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, with assistance from the Atlantic City Police Department, arrested Velazquez without incident at Atlantic City Public Works in Atlantic City,where he is employed, and lodged him in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on bail set by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Bernard E. DeLury at $1,000,000, no 10%.
A conviction for murder carries a potential sentence of incarceration in New Jersey State Prison for a period of 30 years to life. The potential penalty for a 1st degree conviction is 10-20 years of imprisonment, and a 2nd degree conviction carries a potential sentence of 5-10 years in prison.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 609-909-7666, or the Hamilton Township Police Department at (609) 625-2700.