In the quiet evening of March 1, 2022, the neighborhood around Grove Street and Prospect Place in North Plainfield, New Jersey, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Responding to a 9-1-1 call at approximately 9:36 p.m., police officers discovered 26-year-old Steve J. Camino, a male resident of North Plainfield, suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by the officers, who performed CPR until emergency medical personnel arrived, Camino was rushed to a local trauma
center where he was pronounced dead. The tragic event prompted an intensive investigation led by detectives from the North Plainfield Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes and Crime Scene Investigations units. A post-mortem examination later confirmed that Camino's death was a homicide.
The diligent work of law enforcement officials soon led to breakthroughs in the case. On March 21, 2022, authorities announced the arrests of two young men in connection with the fatal shooting. Kenneth Hill, 21, of Plainfield, and Daniel Carrera Cardona, 22, of Piscataway, were taken into custody. Hill was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon. Carrera Cardona faced charges of first-degree murder and first-degree conspiracy to commit murder. Both men were lodged in the Somerset County Jail to await a detention hearing. The investigation, however, was not yet complete as authorities continued to seek justice for Steve Camino.
Further investigation led to the identification of a third individual involved in the crime. On April 13, 2022, Jose Branch, 23, of Plainfield, was apprehended in Raleigh, North Carolina, with the assistance of local police and the U.S. Marshals Service. Branch was charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit murder for his role in Camino's death. He was subsequently extradited back to New Jersey on April 19 and was also held at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing. The arrests of the three suspects marked a significant development in the case, bringing a measure of resolution to a community shaken by the violent loss of one of its own.
