On a summer evening in North Plainfield, New Jersey, the life of 14-year-old Steven Jimenez was tragically cut short. The young Hispanic male was with his cousins on an outdoor patio at the Malcolm Gardens Apartment Complex on August 13, 2021, when gunfire erupted. Responding to a 911 call around 8:06 p.m., police discovered a scene of violence, with three individuals having been shot.
Despite immediate life-saving efforts by emergency responders, Steven was pronounced dead at the scene.
His 31-year-old cousin, Christian Orellana, who lived with Steven in nearby Plainfield, was rushed to a trauma center but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. A third cousin, a 28-year-old man, was also critically wounded in the attack and required emergency surgery after being transported from the scene by a medevac helicopter.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner's Office officially ruled the deaths of both Steven Jimenez and Christian Orellana as homicides. The investigation, a joint effort by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit, the Crime Scene Investigations Unit, and the North Plainfield Police Department, continues to seek answers. Authorities have not yet publicly identified any suspects or determined a motive for the shooting.
The community has been left to mourn the loss of the two family members, and a reward of up to $5,000 has been offered by Crime Stoppers of Somerset County, Inc. for any information that leads to the identification and arrest of the person or persons responsible for this fatal shooting. As of now, no arrests have been made, and the case remains an active and ongoing investigation.
