In the late hours of a Tuesday in August 2015, Imad Alasmar, a 57-year-old Jordanian immigrant and dedicated father of ten, was working his shift as a cab driver in Rahway, New Jersey. A call came in for a pickup on Bedford Street, a seemingly routine fare that would prove to be his last. Shortly before 11 p.m. on August 25th, police were dispatched to the 1400 block of that same street, where they found Alasmar slumped over in his taxi.
He had been shot.
The investigation that followed painted a grim picture of a robbery gone tragically wrong. It was determined that a passenger had attempted to rob Alasmar, who, according to his son, would not have easily given up his hard-earned money meant to support his large family. A struggle ensued, and the assailant shot Alasmar in the head and neck. After the shooting, the taxi continued to move, striking a parked car and injuring the two people inside. One of the occupants of the parked car, a woman, sustained severe injuries that ultimately required numerous surgeries and the amputation of her lower leg.
An intensive investigation led authorities to identify 20-year-old Nathaniel Young Jr. as the suspect. Investigators found Young's DNA and fingerprint on the. 45-caliber handgun that was recovered from the deployed airbag of Alasmar's taxi. Cell phone records also placed Young in the area, showing he had traveled to Rahway and called the cab company just before the murder. Young was arrested and charged with murder, robbery, and weapons offenses.
In October 2018, a jury found Nathaniel Young Jr. guilty on all counts, including murder, felony murder, robbery, aggravated assault, and a weapons offense. Despite maintaining his innocence, he was sentenced to 58 years in state prison. Under the terms of his sentence, he must serve at least 85 percent of his term before being eligible for parole.
