On the morning of May 7, 1984, New Jersey State Trooper Carlos M. Negron, a 29-year-old Hispanic male, was on routine patrol on the New Jersey Turnpike in East Windsor Township. At approximately 8:12 a.m., he observed what appeared to be a disabled van on the side of the road and stopped to offer assistance. Unbeknownst to Trooper Negron, the occupants of the van were James Edward Daniels, a convicted murderer and parole violator, and Lenell Hutchinson.
As Trooper Negron approached the vehicle, a fatal exchange of gunfire ensued. Daniels opened fire, striking the trooper multiple times. Though wounded, Trooper Negron returned fire. The assailants fled the scene, leaving the officer critically injured. Trooper Negron was transported to a nearby medical center where he was pronounced dead at 9:35 a.m. He was a U.S.
Marine Corps veteran who had served with the New Jersey State Police for just over two years and was survived by his wife and 11-month-old son.
Following the shooting, the suspects, Daniels and Hutchinson, carjacked another vehicle and attempted to escape. A high-speed pursuit with other law enforcement officers followed. The chase ended when the stolen van crashed, and both suspects were killed. No arrests were made as the individuals responsible for Trooper Negron's death died during their attempt to flee. The firearm used in the murder was later potentially linked to two other homicides in New York.
