2 Men Arrested In Bridgewater Shooting At Car With 2 Women Inside

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Two men were arrested and charged after gunshots were fired at a car with two women inside in the Finderne section of Bridgewater on March 1, 2022.

Ikeem Thomas, 20, of Covington, Georgia, and Josiah T. Talbert, 20, of Somerset were both charged in connection with the shooting, announced Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Bridgewater Township Chief of Police John B. Mitzak.

On March 1, 2022, at around 3:31 p.m., a 911 call reported shots fired at a vehicle in the area of Sunny Slope Road near Finderne Avenue and East Main Street in Bridgewater.

• Related: Shots Fired At Car With 2 Women Inside Reported In Bridgewater

Bridgewater Police Officers found the vehicle which had two adult women from Bridgewater inside and went to the Mt. Pleasant Villas apartments on Sunny Slope Road where they found numerous spent shell casings in this area, according to police.

No injuries were sustained because of the shooting.

Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Bridgewater Township Police Department investigated and determined that Thomas and Talbert were the alleged people involved in the shooting, said McDonald.

On Friday, May 5, 2022, Thomas was arrested without incident in New Brunswick. Thomas was charged with first-degree attempted murder, first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

Thomas was taken to the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing in this matter.

On Aug. 28, 2023, Talbert was arrested without incident in North Brunswick and charged with first-degree attempted murder, first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

Talbert was taken to the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing in this matter.

McDonald thanked agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Newark Field Office – Branchburg RA, U.S. Marshal’s Service, and officers from the New Brunswick Police Department and North Brunswick Police Department for their assistance with this investigation.

Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting.

Anyone with information relating to the shooting to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Bridgewater Township Police Department at 908-722-4111 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smartphone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

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