Prosecutors: 3 'killers' are Bloods members

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Prosecutors will seek to prove that three men charged with murdering a man outside a Jersey City diner last year are all members of the Bloods street gang.

In court yesterday, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Aaron Silverstein told Superior Court Judge Fred Theemling that he plans to file a motion seeking to introduce the evidence regarding the men charged with murdering Marcus Richey, 22, who was assaulted outside Al's Diner on Communipaw Avenue last Dec. 2 at about 3:15 a.m.

Proving the men are members of the Bloods would not increase sentencing if they are proven guilty. But it would go to show "there were common purposes there; to use an old term, partners in crime," said Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio.

"It is very farfetched," John Zunic, the defense attorney representing Isiah Williams, 29, aka "Ike," of Bergen Avenue, said about the Bloods connection.

"Mr. Williams is not a Bloods member and has not been a Blood member," Zunic said last night. Williams, who is free on bail, appeared in court yesterday afternoon with his codefendants, Travis West, 22, of Bergen Avenue, and Elijah West.

Before the attack, Richey and a friend got into an argument with a group of at least three men inside the diner. Travis West was an instigator, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said at the time.

Richey was punched and kicked numerous times and he suffered head and neck trauma that resulted in his death two days later.

Silverstein and the defense lawyers will now file briefs on the matter of admitting evidence of gang membership and they will argue the issue at a hearing set for Dec. 11.

At Al's Diner? That used to be a quiet spot to go to.

Fight at Jersey City diner leads to arrest

Monday, February 16, 2009

Responding to a street brawl in the parking lot of Al's Diner on Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City early Saturday morning, police arrested an 18-year-old with a gun and two 30-year-olds who tried to keep police from doing their jobs, reports said.

Alerted by a caller that one of the brawlers had a gun, police found several people engaged in a fight in the lot at around 4:04 a.m., reports said.

As police tried to gain control of the crowd, they noticed an individual - later identified as 18-year-old Kerry Jocelyn of Monticello Avenue - sitting in a Lincoln Navigator and ducking down behind the seats to hide, reports said.

Police ordered Jocelyn out of the SUV to question him and when he got out of the vehicle, a silver handgun fell from the pocket of the red hoodie he was wearing, officials said.

The gun turned out to be stolen and Jocelyn was charged with street fighting, unlawful possession of a weapon, and receiving stolen property, reports said.

Two other Jersey City residents - Jamal Canary, 36, of Clerk Street, and Tennille Davis, 31, of Garfield Avenue - got in the way of the officers breaking up the fight and arresting Jocelyn and were charged with obstructing law/governmental function, reports said.

JOURNAL STAFF

Quote:

Al's used to be a great place to get a bite to eat but now is a blight on our community.

Every drunk from different bars and clubs in JC now go to Al's for food every Friday & Saturday night. How many incidents does it take for our councilpeople,mayor, and community to address it. Why is the restaurant owner not fined for allowing this to go on?

Angry mobs fight at Al's on the regular, one person even was beaten to death and gun shots have been heard there.

What will it take for for some action?

Lincoln Park: 'Hundreds' watch fight at Al's diner

by Charles Hack
Sunday March 02, 2008, 5:34 PM

Jersey City Police said they dispersed "hundreds" of people after a fight broke out an overcrowded diner early this morning, reports said.

Jersey City police officers noticed around 3:20 a.m. that the parking lot and sidewalk outside Al's Diner at on Communipaw Avenue between Belvidere and Nunda avenues were blocked with a number of double-parked cars, and that there was a huge crowd inside the diner.

The cops entered the packed restaurant and were told by a manager that the huge crowd had gathered because there was a scuffle going on at the back of the diner. But as police tried to push their way through what they described as "hundreds" of onlookers, the suspects had fled through the emergency exit, reports said.

An employee contacted this afternoon, who refused to give his name, denied there had been any disturbance or overcrowding at the restaurant.

GIANT 'KILLER'
Surrenders in diner murder 3 more face arrest: officials
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Hudson County homicide detectives have charged a man in the brutal murder of a Jersey City man who was beaten to death outside a Jersey City diner last week.

Isiah Williams, 29, a mountain of a man at 6-foot-6 and well over 200 pounds, was arrested in the early morning hours Monday. Investigators did not release the information until yesterday because the investigation is ongoing, said Hudson County First Assistant Prosecutor Guy Gregory.

Williams, of Bergen Avenue in Jersey City, is charged with murdering Marcus Richey, 22, who was viciously assaulted outside Al's Diner on Communipaw Avenue on Dec. 2 at about 3:15 a.m., officials said.

Richey died two days later as a result of head and neck trauma when he was taken off life support at University Hospital in Newark, officials said.

Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said investigators anticipate more arrests.

"We believe at least three people had some involvement with the beating," DeFazio said yesterday. "They all face felony murder charges, regardless of whether they delivered the blunt force trauma or not."

Investigators asked Williams to come to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office's Homicide Squad headquarters at the foot of Duncan Avenue in Jersey City and he was arrested upon arrival, officials said.

The Prosecutor's Office would not say what led them to Williams, who is being held at Hudson County jail in Kearny on $500,000 bail.

Before the attack, Richey and a friend got into an argument with a group of at least three men inside the diner, which is located near Belvidere Avenue, officials said, adding that when Richey and his friend left, the group attacked them.

The friend was punched in the back of the head and knocked out, while Richey was beaten more severely, DeFazio said. The prosecutor said the friend has since recovered.

Richey's mother, Aurella Richey, who lives in Greenville, said her son worked at Teterboro Airport. She said he attended local parochial schools and was taking college courses in engineering. On days off, and sometimes before work, he ministered to youth classes at his old school, she said.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the homicide squad at (201) 915-1345.

Goddamm animals.All they know is violence. They should bring back the death penalty for Christsakes.

I'm so sorry to hear this.

RIP

RIP

This is a sad sad thing.

It's a shame, when I first read it in the paper...I brushed it off as gang violence or drug related. Then I got the phone call the next day & found out it was an old friend of mine.

I went to school with the kid. He was never in trouble a day in his life, always hard working and fun-loving. Eating breakfast at a diner and then killed, just because somebody thought he was someone else.

Life is too short...live everyday to it's fullest.

Man beaten outside diner Sunday dies

by Michaelangelo Conte
Thursday December 06, 2007, 7:48 PM

A 22-year-old Jersey City man who was beaten up by a group outside a diner early Sunday morning died Tuesday when he was taken off life support at University Hospital in Newark, officials said yesterday.

Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said his office was notified of the death yesterday and an autopsy performed today determined that Marcus Richey died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and neck. The fatal injuries were caused by punches and kicks, DeFazio said.

"His eyes were open but he never responded," his mother, Aurella Richey, said tonight.

While speaking of that night, Aurella Richey fought back tears for more than a minute before saying, "I can't describe what it was like when they turned off the machine."

The beating occurred at 3:15 a.m. Sunday outside Al's Diner on Communipaw Avenue, reports said. Richey and a friend got into an argument with a group of at least three men inside the diner, DeFazio said.

When Richey and the friend left the diner the other group attacked him, DeFazio said. The friend was punched in the back of the head and knocked out, while Richey was beaten more viciously, DeFazio said, adding that the friend has since recovered.

Aurella Richey, who lives in Greenville, said her son worked at Teterboro Airport. She said some of his coworkers put up a plaque in his honor and called her, telling her that "he was a really good worker, a really nice guy and he will be missed."

She said her son attended local parochial schools and had been taking college courses in engineering. On days off and sometimes before work he ministered to youth classes at his old school.

"Marcus had a lot of dreams," his mother said.

Anyone with information on the homicide is asked to call the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office's Homicide Squad at (201) 915-1345.

Scuffle leaves 2 beaten outside diner

Jersey Journal
Monday, December 03, 2007

Two 22-year-old men were badly beaten by a group of men early yesterday morning, police reports said.

Police responded to a street fight at 3:15 a.m. outside Al's Diner at 869 Communipaw Ave. When they arrived, they found two unconscious men stretched out on the ground with several bystanders attempting to help them, reports said.

The pair were taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where one of the victims, of Halladay Street in Jersey City, was in critical condition yesterday, reports said. The other, of Randolph Avenue, was in stable condition, reports said.

Witnesses told police a group of six to eight people attacked the two men.

Investigators said they are waiting until the men are well enough to be interviewed, reports said.

CHARLES HACK