Agustin 'Orlando' Pichardo, a 51-year-old male, was fatally shot on Saturday, April 17, 2021, in Newark, New Jersey. On that day, Pichardo and a relative were engaged in maintenance work at a property he owned on the 100 block of 7th Street. Their work was violently interrupted when a man allegedly attempted to rob them at gunpoint.
During the course of the attempted armed robbery, Pichardo was shot. He was quickly transported to University Hospital for medical attention.
Despite the efforts of medical staff, he was pronounced dead at 2:13 p.m. that same afternoon. The sudden and violent nature of his death sent shockwaves through the community.
In the days following the shooting, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, which includes detectives from the Newark Police Department, conducted an investigation. This led to the arrest of Marquise Smith, a 26-year-old resident of Newark. Smith was subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit murder, and felony murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Agustin Pichardo. He was taken into custody and is being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility.
