In the early morning hours of July 15, 2018, Dervy Almonte-Moore, a 27-year-old man, was working his job as a pizza delivery driver, a role he used to support his dream of becoming a radiologist. A native of the Dominican Republic who had recently become a U.S. citizen, he was known by friends and colleagues as a hardworking and perpetually cheerful individual. While on a delivery for Jumbo's Pizza on Paulison Avenue in Clifton, New Jersey, his life took a tragic and abrupt turn.
At approximately 2:15 a.m., Almonte-Moore was ambushed by several individuals, one of whom was armed with a handgun. In an attempt to escape the dangerous situation, he tried to drive away. It was during this desperate bid for safety that a shot was fired, striking him. Despite being wounded, he continued to drive a short distance before his 1998 Toyota Camry crashed into a tree.
When police responded to the scene, initially believing it to be a motor vehicle accident, they discovered him unresponsive with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to St. Joseph's University Medical Center in Paterson, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the senseless killing led authorities to three suspects. Two 18-year-old men from Garfield, Andy DeJesus and Joel Nunez, were arrested and faced a slew of serious charges, including murder, felony murder, robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery. A third suspect, a 16-year-old male whose name was not released due to his age, was also taken into custody and charged with delinquency for acts that would constitute the same offenses if committed by an adult. The two adult suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them. The arrests brought a measure of progress in the quest for justice for Almonte-Moore, a young man who was diligently working to build a better future for himself.
