In the early evening of a Tuesday in September 2021, the city of Paterson became the scene of a fatal shooting. Hector Guzman, a 60-year-old man, was found lying in the roadway on Van Houten Street with an apparent gunshot wound. The incident occurred at approximately 8:13 p.m., prompting a swift response from the Paterson Police Department who were dispatched to the area following reports of a shooting.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered Mr. Guzman in critical condition.
He was immediately transported to Saint Joseph's University Medical Center for urgent medical care. Despite the efforts of the medical staff, he succumbed to his injuries later that night and was pronounced deceased at 11:37 p.m. An investigation into the shooting was launched by the Paterson Police Department in conjunction with the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.
The investigation led to the identification of two suspects, 44-year-old Marc DeJesus and 32-year-old Cassandra Ramirez, both from Paterson. On September 24, 2021, about ten days after the shooting, the pair were located in Barnegat, New Jersey. Their arrests were carried out by a team of law enforcement officers from the Paterson Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, the United States Marshals' Fugitive Task Force, and the Barnegat Police Department. During the arrest, DeJesus attempted to escape by jumping out of a second-floor window but was quickly captured. Ramirez was apprehended without incident. Both individuals were charged with murder, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a handgun.
