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Update: Police Make Six Homicide Arrests in Eight Days
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 • 9:29pm
PATERSON, NJ – In a stunning streak of detective work, Paterson police have locked up six murder suspects since October 16.
The arrests cover four separate incidents that left five people dead and five wounded. They included three shootings and one fatal beating. Moreover, one of the murder suspects also was charged with attempted murder in a fifth case.
The killings all happened in 2012: the first two in January, the third in June, the fourth in August and the fifth in September. They also occurred in three different wards: the 1st, 4th and 5th.
The most recent arrest was made on Tuesday. Paterson police picked up 20-year-old John Gunthrope, on Arch Street and charged him with murder in connection with the June beating death of James Miller, according to Capt. Heriberto Rodriguez. Two other people previously had been arrested in that killing – Gregory Price, 19, of Plainfield, and a juvenile from Paterson – police said.
Miller, who was 26, had been beaten by several people outside 77 N. 7th Street on June 17, police said. He was placed on life-support at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center with severe head trauma, authorities said, but died two days later. Authorities have not revealed the possible motive in Miller’s beating.
On Monday, police arrested 35-year-old Rondell Goodwin and charged him with two counts of murder in a shooting that happened on Summer Street on January 28. Rodriguez said Goodwin also faces aggravated assault and various weapons charges.
Police say Goodwin was charged with the killing of two 22-year-olds from the 1st Ward - Dashon Adamson of N. 3rd Street and Taheem Taylor of N. Main Street. Two other victims were wounded, but later recovered from their wounds, police said.
Last Friday, police arrested 26-year-old Jermaine Swindell in connection with a drive-by shooting on Arch Street on September 14 and charged him with the murder of Dennis Taylor Jr.
Swindell, of Governor Street, was arrested at about 3 pm at a house on the city's Northside, said police. Swindell also has been charged with attempted murder in another 1st Ward shooting in June. In that case, Swindell is accused of shooting in the head a passenger in a vehicle near the corner of N. Main and Stout streets. The person wounded in the head survived.
Two weeks before the June shooting, Swindell himself had been wounded near the corner of Governor and Carroll streets.
Last Thursday afternoon, police had arrested two other Paterson men - Knowledge Samuels and Quashon Brooks, both 23 - and charged them in Taylor’s murder. The victim, a resident of N. 4th Street, had been walking on Arch Street, near Garfield Avenue, when he was gunned down by shots fired from a passing vehicle, police said. Moments later, on Garfield Avenue, two other people were wounded by shots fired from what may have been the same vehicle, authorities said.
On Tues., Oct. 16, police arrested a 29-year-old man from Lawrence Street and charged him with the murder that happened near a 16th Avenue car wash in August. Authorities say Kevin Robinson was arrested at police headquarters on Tuesday when he was called and asked to come in to answer some questions. Robinson, who also faces weapons and assault charges, is accused of killing Michael Matta on August 4.
The shooting happened at about 5:25 am. Police at the time said the victim was hanging around with some other people outside a car wash near the corner of 16th Avenue and Summer Street when he was fatally shot. An 18-year-old woman also was wounded in the incident, police said.
