In the late hours of a Sunday evening in Camden, New Jersey, the life of 35-year-old Jose Alvarez was brought to a tragic and violent end. On September 13, 2015, at approximately 10:21 p.m., police were dispatched to the All American Gardens apartment complex following a report of a gunshot victim. Upon their arrival, they discovered Jose Alvarez lying on the ground behind one of the apartment buildings. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. Emergency services transported him to Cooper University Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after, at 10:41 p.m.
The investigation into the shooting began immediately, with the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and the Camden County Police Department leading the efforts. In the weeks that followed, authorities identified a suspect in the murder. Armando Perez, a 19-year-old from Camden, became the subject of a manhunt. Law enforcement agencies, including the U.S.
Marshals Service, actively sought Perez, who was also known by the nicknames 'Peeto' or 'Pito.' A reward of $2,500 was offered for information that would lead to his arrest, and his photograph was displayed on billboards in the area. Authorities cautioned the public that Perez should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.
The narrative of this tragedy became more complex with another fatal shooting that occurred the following month. The victim in that incident was William Alvarez, Jose's 25-year-old brother, who was found shot in his car in the early morning of October 29, 2015. This raised questions for investigators about a possible connection between the two murders. While authorities acknowledged they were looking into all aspects of the victims' lives, they did not publicly confirm a definitive link between the homicides of the two brothers. The investigation into Jose Alvarez's death continued as authorities pressed on for any information that could bring his killer to justice.
