On the evening of November 30, 2016, a 27-year-old White female named Amber Dudley from Collingswood, New Jersey, was fatally shot in Trenton. Dudley was a passenger in a Lyft vehicle with two friends when the group was targeted in a robbery.
The incident unfolded on Mechanics Avenue when a man with a handgun attempted to enter their Lyft vehicle to rob the occupants. A struggle ensued between the armed man and the passengers. As the Lyft driver tried to speed away from the scene, the gunman fired a shot, striking Dudley in the chest. In a desperate attempt to get her help, the driver sped to the Trenton Police headquarters.
Upon their arrival at the police station, law enforcement and emergency medical personnel worked frantically to save her. Despite their efforts and being rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery, Amber Dudley succumbed to her injuries and passed away.
The investigation into the homicide led to the arrests of several individuals.
Two women, 31-year-old Dominique Richter of Hamilton and 32-year-old Kasey DeZolt of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, were charged as accomplices. Authorities alleged they were involved in luring the Lyft into the area for the robbery.
Further investigation led to the identification and arrest of the alleged gunman, Ronderrick Manuel, 43, of Trenton. Two other men, Andrew Alston and Douglas Mathis, were also implicated and arrested in connection with the fatal robbery. Over the course of the legal proceedings, several of the co-defendants, including the triggerman Ronderrick Manuel, ultimately pleaded guilty to their roles in the events that led to Amber Dudley's death.
