Union County Man Charged In Fatal Shooting In Elizabeth

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Officials in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., have apprehended an Elizabeth man who was wanted in connection with a fatal shooting in Elizabeth in April, said Acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo's Office on Wednesday.

Officials announced Wednesday afternoon that Michael Rogers, 23, has been charged with first-degree murder and two related weapons offenses in connection with the death of 32-year-old Elizabeth resident Antwoine Thompson on April 26.

Rogers currently remains in custody in Pennsylvania pending extradition back to New Jersey, according to the joint announcement, made by Prosecutor Ruotolo, Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca, and city Police Director Earl Graves.

On April 26, members of the Elizabeth Police Department responded to the intersection of Second and Bond streets in the city's Elizabethport section. They found Thompson at that location, having sustained serious injury, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Julie Peterman, who is prosecuting the case.

Thompson was then rushed to Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, where he was pronounced dead the same day.

The investigation into the shooting, led by the Union County Homicide Task Force and assisted by members of the Elizabeth Police Department, Union County Police Department Ballistics Unit, and Union County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Unit, resulted in Rogers being identified as a suspect.

He was criminally charged on Thursday, June 10.

He remained at large until this past Monday, when he was taken into custody without incident in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania by members of the U.S. Marshals Service. He currently remains in custody in Pennsylvania pending extradition back to New Jersey.

The Prosecutor's Office said they would like to recognize and thank the Wilkes-Barre City Police Department for its assistance in this matter.

Anyone with information about this matter is still urged to contact Prosecutor's Office Lt. Johnny Ho at 908-403-8271, Detective Lamar Hartsfield at 908-451-1873, or Detective Michael Tambini at 908-472-4301.

Convictions on crimes of this nature are commonly punishable by terms of up to life in state prison, the Prosecutor's Office said.

Second Capture

The Union County Prosecutor's Office also announced Wednesday that they had captured a suspect in another Elizabeth killing from earlier this year.

Ruotolo's office said that James McNair, 43, of Elizabeth was apprehended in Camden this week and charged with first-degree murder and two related weapons offenses in connection with the shooting death of 21-year-old Trevon A. Palin in Elizabeth in May. Palin was a resident of Scranton, Pa.

Prosecutors said McNair was apprehended Tuesday during a traffic stop in Camden. Read more here.

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