In what has been described as an apparent road rage incident, 51-year-old Robert Rogers, a male resident of Elmwood Park and formerly a lifelong resident of Clifton, New Jersey, was fatally shot on the night of Friday, December 20, 2024. The incident occurred near the intersection of Lakeview and Merselis Avenues in Clifton, a place not far from where he was raised. Rogers had been out doing some last-minute Christmas shopping with his wife just days before the holiday.
Just before midnight, at approximately 11:47 p.m., an altercation took place at a red light. Rogers, who was in his Jeep, reportedly exited his vehicle and approached a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck. Following a verbal exchange of unknown content with the driver of the pickup truck, Rogers was shot in the chest. When police arrived at the scene, they found him with the gunshot wound.
He was quickly transported to Saint Joseph's University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The driver of the pickup truck, identified as 67-year-old Angel Pacheco of Clifton, was arrested at the scene without incident. Pacheco has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Authorities have announced that they are seeking his pre-trial detention. The investigation into the shooting is active and ongoing.
Robert Rogers, known to some as 'Bobby,' was a husband and a father of five children, as well as a grandfather to four. He had worked for many years as a truck driver for a company in Elizabeth. His family, including his wife and three sisters, have been left devastated by the sudden loss.
