New Jersey teen pleads guilty in 2019 killing

A New Jersey teenager pleaded responsible earlier this week to manslaughter within the 2019 killing of a person in Spring Valley.

Rockland County District Lawyer Thomas Walsh stated the defendant, Jayden Rodriguez, 19, of North Bergen, N.J., pleaded responsible to at least one depend of first-degree manslaughter, a felony, earlier than Rockland County Courtroom Choose Kevin F. Russo on Tuesday.

Based on Walsh, Rodriguez admitted that he entered a Spring Valley residence constructing on Sept. 1, 2019 and fired quite a few pictures at Emerson Jean-Baptiste. A second man, Haverstraw resident Paul Miller, was additionally charged within the case.

Spring Valley police stated on the time that Jean-Baptiste was sitting on the ground in a hallway on the advanced at 150 Liberty Parkway when he noticed the 2 males coming.

Paul Modica, who was police chief on the time, stated then that Jean-Baptiste received up and ran, then was shot within the again.

“Nearly like an execution-style taking pictures,” Modica stated. “He wasn’t shot together with his fingers on his head. He is sitting and he should have recognized they had been after him as he received up. As quickly as they confirmed up, he ran.”

Responding officers discovered Jean-Baptiste, 20, unresponsive. He was taken to Nyack Hospital, the place he was pronounced lifeless.

Rodriguez was 17 on the time of the taking pictures. He was arrested the next day by Spring Valley police with the help of North Bergen police.

Miller, who was 20 on the time, was additionally arrested and charged with homicide within the case.

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The weapon used was recovered a number of days later by Haverstraw city police whereas they had been engaged on an unrelated matter.

“This responsible plea will hopefully deliver closure to our sufferer’s household and pals,” Walsh stated in an announcement launched by his workplace.

Authorities haven’t commented on a possible motive for the killing.

Damian Brown, Rodriguez’s lawyer, couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.

Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19.

Miller pleaded responsible on Might 19, 2021, to second-degree felony possession of a weapon, a felony. He’s set to be sentenced on Might 18.

Mike Randall covers breaking information for the Occasions Herald-Report, the Poughkeepsie Journal and the Journal Information/LOHUD. Attain him at mrandall@th-record.com  or on Twitter @MikeRandall845