In the late hours of a Sunday evening, the calm of a Perth Amboy neighborhood was shattered by the sound of a single-vehicle crash. On August 23, 2020, at approximately 11:34 p.m., police responded to a 911 call at the intersection of Hall Avenue and High Street. Inside the vehicle, they discovered 41-year-old Vidal Chito Carrasquillo-Vasquez, a male resident of Perth Amboy, who appeared to be suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency responders rushed him to Staten Island University Hospital, but he was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival on August 24, 2020.
The ensuing investigation by the Perth Amboy Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office soon revealed a grim picture of the events that led to the crash. It was determined that Carrasquillo-Vasquez had been shot several times while he was driving, which caused him to lose control of his vehicle.
The case was quickly classified as a homicide, prompting an active and continuing investigation to bring the person or persons responsible to justice. Authorities reached out to the public for any information that could shed light on the circumstances of the shooting.
The investigation led authorities to a suspect. Robert Hagens, a 42-year-old man from the nearby town of Edison, was arrested and charged with the murder of Carrasquillo-Vasquez. Hagens was also charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon. Interestingly, Hagens had first been arrested on August 24, 2020, on a charge of conspiracy to possess cocaine, but the more serious charges related to the homicide were added following further investigation. While an arrest was made, the motive behind the fatal shooting was not disclosed by officials. Following the charges, Hagens was held at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center to await a detention hearing.
