On a summer morning in Trenton, New Jersey, the life of 18-year-old Julius Raymond Vargas, a Hispanic male known affectionately as 'Juelz,' was tragically cut short. On August 9, 2020, at approximately 7:30 a.m., gunfire erupted in the area of 300 Centre Street. When police officers arrived, they discovered another 18-year-old, William Irizarry, lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Inside a nearby corner market, they found Julius, who had also been shot. He was rushed to a local hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.
The investigation that followed uncovered a grim story of gang-related violence. Detectives from the Mercer County Homicide Task Force identified a black Chrysler 300 with Pennsylvania license plates as the suspect vehicle. Surveillance footage showed the car circling the area before parking. Two individuals, wearing all black and ski masks, exited the vehicle, ran towards the victims, and opened fire. The investigation revealed the car had been stolen from Bensalem, Pennsylvania, about a week before the shooting. The motive for the brutal attack appeared to be a Facebook post made by Irizarry that was perceived as disrespecting the 'H-Block' gang. For weeks after the murders, members of the gang allegedly posted on social media, taunting the victims' friends and family.
The breakthrough in the case came through a combination of witness information and police work. In October 2020, authorities arrested three men in connection with the double homicide: Treizon Thompson, Tyzir Hamilton, and Darnell Davis. Thompson and Hamilton were identified as the shooters, while Davis was the driver of the stolen Chrysler. A month prior to the arrests, detectives had spotted the getaway car and a pursuit ensued, ending when the vehicle crashed into a telephone pole. The occupants fled, but a crucial piece of evidence was left behind: a 9mm Taurus handgun found under the driver's seat, which was later identified as one of the murder weapons.
The legal process concluded in January 2024, when Treizon Thompson and Tyzir Hamilton were each sentenced to 60 years in state prison without the possibility of parole. Juries had found them guilty on all counts, including two counts of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The judge ordered their sentences for each murder to run consecutively. The driver, Darnell Davis, was also charged for his role in the events of that fatal August morning.
