Belleville Man Fatally Stabbed Wheelchair-Bound Roommate, Found Guilty

BELLEVILLE, NJ — An Essex County jury has convicted a Belleville man of murdering his roommate, “brutally” stabbing him 12 times as he sat defenseless in a wheelchair, prosecutors say.

On Tuesday, a jury returned a guilty verdict against Edwin Andujar, 53, of Belleville, in connection with the August 2014 death of his roommate, Thomas Parent, 59, convicting Andujar of first-degree murder and weapons offenses.

Prosecutors alleged that Andujar – who was unemployed and living rent-free with Parent at the time of the murder – became enraged when Parent told him to move out of the home, then grabbed a steak knife and stabbed his roommate in the stomach, groin and back.

At the time, Parent had just come home from a rehabilitation center and still needed a wheelchair, authorities said.

Andujar claimed that he acted in self-defense during the encounter, prosecutors said.

Initially, Andujar was charged with attempted murder. In August of 2014 the charges were upgraded to murder after Parent succumbed to his injuries, prosecutors said.

Andujar has one prior conviction for endangering the welfare of a child, prosecutors said. He faces 30 years to life in state prison.

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 17.

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Belleville-Nutley Facebook page.

Send correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

File Photo: Flickr Commons