In the heart of his Newark supermarket, a place he had built into a community hub, Rabel Ramos-Gomez, a 46-year-old male, was going about his day, cooking for his customers. It was a Sunday afternoon, July 17, 2022, when the sound of rapid gunfire, described by a witness as like a machine gun, pierced the air. In the chaos that ensued, a stray bullet found its way into the R&A Supermarket, striking and fatally wounding the beloved owner.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ramos-Gomez, a native of the Dominican Republic, had come to America with dreams of a better life for his family. He and his wife took over the bodega in 2019 and quickly became integral parts of the neighborhood. Known for his generosity, he would close his store one day a week during the pandemic to cook and distribute food to those in need. His sudden and violent death left the community he served in a state of shock and mourning. Neighbors and customers remembered him as a wonderful and kind man who treated everyone like family.
The investigation into the senseless killing was swift. Law enforcement, utilizing surveillance footage from the area, identified a suspect. On July 22, 2022, just days after the shooting, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office announced the arrest of 24-year-old Quadree Richardson in Kearny. Richardson, a resident of Newark, was charged with murder and weapons offenses in connection with the death of Ramos-Gomez. The investigation is being handled by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force.
