East Windsor Man Accused Of Murder To Appear In Court

EAST WINDSOR, NJ - An East Windsor man accused of murdering his neighbor made his initial court appearance in Mercer County on Wednesday, according to authorities.

Jeffrey Vasquez-Calderon, 37, has been charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon in the death of 30-year-old Luis Sanchez, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri and East Windsor Township Police Chief James A. Geary.

Vasquez-Calderon was arrested last week and was being held in Essex County on an ICE detainer. He was extradited to Mercer County on Tuesday, and was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The prosecutor's office has filed a motion to have him detained pending trial. As of Thursday morning, the date for that hearing was tentatively set for Friday, March 8, 9 a.m.

Police believe Vasquez-Calderon and Sanchez left a nearby liquor store and lounge together earlier in the evening on Tuesday night, Feb. 26. They went back to Sanchez's house, where Vasquez-Calderon stabbed Sanchez numerous times with a knife, authorities said.

The two men were acquaintances, and they both lived on the first block of Bennington Drive, police said. A friend found Sanchez the following morning and called police. Upon arrival, East Windsor police found Sanchez's body on the back patio area of his home. There were visible wounds and trauma to his body, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene.

An online fundraiser has been launched to help with funeral costs for Sanchez, who was an award-winning artist and father. As of Wednesday morning, it had raised just over $7,000. To donate, visit gofundme.com.