Man loses appeal in dumpster crash death days before prison release

Cops nab fugitive wanted in fatal crash outside Jersey City diner

August 12, 2012, 4:00 PM
By Charles Hack/The Jersey Journal

A Jersey City fugitive charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash during a shootout in the parking lot of a Communipaw Avenue diner in June was arrested early Saturday morning after police received a tip on his location, authorities said.

William A. Sparrow, 26, of Ocean Avenue, was carrying 19 bags of suspected heroin and a loaded handgun when he was arrested on Stegman Street after a brief chase at around 3:22 a.m. Saturday, police said.

Sparrow, 26, had been wanted by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office on charges of leaving the scene of a fatal accident and weapons offenses, including possession of a firearm by a felon, in connection with a shootout on Al's Diner on June 17, reports said.

Authorities say that Sparrow was driving a Lexus that was fleeing from gunfire when his car struck a garbage container that fatally crushed a Jersey City man at Al's Diner on June 17, officials said.

After his arrest, Sparrow was handed over to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

On top of the charges he faces for the June 17 incident, Sparrow now is charged with possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, unlawful possession of a weapon, drug possession with intent to distribute, drug possession near a school, certain persons not to have weapons, reports said.

Acting on a tip, police officers approached Sparrow, who was sitting in the passenger of a Nissan Maxima that was doubled-parked on Stegman Street between Ocean Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive at 3:22 a.m., reports said.

As Sparrow got out of the car, cops noticed a bulge in the left side of his waist band that he was attempting to cover with his right hand, reports said.

As cops ordered Sparrow to turn to face them, he fled and while he running he reached for a loaded Smith and Wesson, .22 revolver, reports said. One of the officers pushed him to the ground and he dropped the gun, but fled to an alley where cops were able to handcuff him, reports said.

Sparrow was found to have 19 bags of suspected heroin in his front right pocket and $220 in cash in his front left pocket, reports said. Police said Sparrow gun had was loaded with six rounds.

Police say that on June 17 Sparrow fled after the Lexus he was driving struck a garbage container that fatally pinned Jason Jenkins, 29, of Bergen Avenue in Jersey City, against a concrete wall. A passenger in Sparrow's car was struck at least twice by the gunfire but has since been released from the hospital, authorities said.

Two other Jersey City men, Lamont Settles, 28, and Nasir Barnes, 23, were arrested in June on two counts of attempted murder in connection with the incident. Police say Barnes and Settles opened fire on a Lexus, wounding the passenger.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... anted_in_fatal_crash.html

Jersey City police asking public's help in finding driver who fled mayhem at diner last weekend

June 23, 2012, 3:02 AM
By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal

Officials are again asking for the public?s help in locating a Jersey City man wanted for leaving the scene of a fatal accident in which a car struck a garbage container that crushed a man after gunfire erupted at Al?s Diner in Jersey City Sunday.
?We do believe he is on the run,? Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said yesterday of William A. Sparrow, 26, of Ocean Avenue. ?He is not in his usual locations.?

The prosecutor said Sparrow contacted his office on Wednesday to arrange his surrender but never showed up.

During the 3:30 a.m. incident in the parking lot of the Communipaw Avenue diner, officials say Lamont Settles, 28, and Nasir Barnes, 23, both of Jersey City, opened fire on a Lexus driven by Sparrow, wounding his passenger.

Sparrow attempted to flee, but the Lexus struck a garbage container that pinned Jason Jenkins, 29, of Bergen Avenue in Jersey City, against a concrete wall, officials said. He died of head and torso trauma, DeFazio said.

Barnes and Settles are each charged with two counts of attempted murder, and all three men are charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, the complaints say.

Barnes, aka Brandon Santiago, has been arrested and is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bail. Settles also remains at large. Sparrow?s passenger was shot at least twice and has since been released from the Jersey City Medical Center, officials said.

?The motive, we believe, is due to a prior altercation at another location,? DeFazio said.

The Prosecutor?s Office has released a more recent picture of Sparrow. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Sparrow or Settles is asked to call the Hudson County Prosecutor?s Office Homicide Squad at (201) 915-1345.

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... y_police_asking_publ.html

Charge Jersey City 23-year-old as shooter in diner parking lot; bail set at $500,000 cash only

By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal The Jersey Journal

June 21, 2012, 3:00AM

A Jersey City man has been charged with attempted murder in connection with an incident in which a fleeing car struck a garbage container that then crushed a man after gunfire erupted at Al's Diner Sunday, officials said. Nasir Barnes, 23, of Woodlawn Avenue, made his first court appearance yesterday on two counts of attempted murder and weapons offenses including...


http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... sey_city_23-year-old.html

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Buy the JJ ..a good newspaper.

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Victim crushed in accident after shooting outside Al's Diner is identified

JJ piece?

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... shed_in_accident_aft.html

more info...

Bystander killed, another man injured, as gunfire erupts at Jersey City diner

Published: Sunday, June 17, 2012, 6:10 PM
Updated: Sunday, June 17, 2012, 6:28 PM

By Rafal Rogoza / The Jersey Journal

An innocent bystander was killed and another man was taken to the hospital in serious condition in the aftermath of a shooting that erupted early today in the parking lot of Al's Diner in Jersey City, officials said.


The incident at the Communipaw Avenue 24/7 diner started around 3:30 a.m. when people in two cars got into verbal argument, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said.


At least two people who were in a Camry got of their vehicle, walked to the passenger-side of a Lexus, which had two people inside, and opened fire, DeFazio said.


Desperate to escape, the driver of the Lexus gunned the car, which crashed into a trash receptacle that in turn struck and killed the bystander, said DeFazio, who declined to identify the dead man.

Full JJ piece?
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... killed_another_man_i.html

(GrovePath, user1111 and I have not been posting JC crime pieces lately. The crime and shootings have really gotten bad over the last month or two. Way to go Healy.)

One person dead, one wounded, after shoot-out in parking lot of Jersey City diner

Published: Sunday, June 17, 2012, 11:41 AM
Updated: Sunday, June 17, 2012, 1:32 PM

By The Jersey Journal The Jersey Journal

JERSEY CITY ? One person is dead and one person is wounded in the aftermath of a shoot-out that erupted early this morning in the parking lot of a Jersey City diner on Communipaw Avenue, an official says.

Details are still sketchy, but Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said this morning that a shoot-out erupted around 2:30 a.m. in the parking lot of Al's Diner on Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City.

One person who was shot was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center.

Another person was declared dead at the scene, but DeFazio wasn't certain this morning how that person died.

That person, whom he did not identify, was apparently struck by a vehicle in the parking lot.

It wasn't immediately clear if the dead person was shot as well, he said.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... _dead_one_wounded_af.html