In the late hours of an autumn evening in Trenton, New Jersey, the lives of a family were irrevocably shattered by a burst of violence that claimed two young brothers. On October 20, 2020, 8-year-old Jose Jonathan Perez, affectionately known as Johnny, and his 16-year-old brother, Gustavo Perez, were fatally shot inside their home on Mulberry Street. The boys were standing by a second-floor kitchen window at approximately 10:30 p.m.
when multiple shots were fired into their residence from the outside.
The events leading to the tragic incident reportedly began with a verbal dispute between the Perez brothers and two individuals, later identified as 26-year-old Dajuan Kelley of Ewing and 29-year-old Destanie Ellis of Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Following the argument, Ellis was observed on surveillance footage following the brothers in her car. She then allegedly pointed out their home to Kelley, who proceeded to open fire on the house. Johnny was struck in the neck, and Gustavo sustained gunshot wounds to his back. The senseless act of violence, believed to be the result of an escalated argument, cut short the lives of the two boys.
In the days that followed the shooting, the Mercer County Homicide Task Force launched an intensive investigation. Their efforts led to the identification of Kelley and Ellis as the primary suspects. Ellis was apprehended in Trenton, while Kelley was located and arrested in Hampton, Georgia, by the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force. Both were subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and weapons offenses. The arrests brought a measure of solace to a grieving family and a community shaken by the loss of two of its young members.
