Seven in Atlantic County Charged in Connection With Murder, Two Remain At-Large

Absecon, NJ -- On Aug. 23, four men were charged with felony murder and three other people were charged with gun and drug possession charges in relation to the shooting deaths of two men at an Absecon motel in March 2015, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Diane Ruberton announced.

On March 1, 2015 at around 5:00 a.m., Absecon Police officers discovered two men dead inside the Red Roof Inn on East Absecon Boulevard, according to the news release. They were identified as Diante Owens, 22, of Pleasantville, and Gerald Alvarez, 22, of Mays Landing.

Later that morning, two other men—Donnell Nicholas, 22, of Atlantic City and Zackery M. Geckeler, 22, of Galloway Township—arrived at the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, both with gunshot injuries, according to the news release.

Autopsies by New Jersey Medical Examiner's Office later determined that Owens died from a gunshot wound to the chest and Alvarez died from multiple gunshot wounds, the news release states.

An 18-month investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit and the Absecon Police Department, with help from the Atlantic City, the Pleasantville, the Galloway Township, the Hamilton Township, and Egg Harbor Township police departments, resulted in criminal charges this past Tuesday against seven people in connection to the incident.

These four men were charged with Felony Murder of Gerald Alvarez, Robbery, Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose, and Unlawful Possession of a Handgun without obtaining a permit to carry, according to the news release:

• Brian Bennett, 25, of Pleasantville, NJ - Arrested in Pleasantville without incident by Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crime Unit Detectives and Pleasantville Police officers on Aug. 23, lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility
• Aaquile Reeves, 20, of Absecon, NJ - Arrested on Aug. 23 at the Atlantic County Justice Facility, where he was being held on an unrelated manner
• Tywan Dixon, 22, of Pleasantville, NJ - Remains at-large
• Donnell Nicholas, 24, of Atlantic City, NJ - Remains at-large

The Atlantic County Superior Court set bail on the four defendants at $750,000, the news release states. Anyone with information on Dixon or Nicholas' whereabouts is asked to contact the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crime Units at 609-909-7666.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office also charged the occupants of the Red Roof Inn hotel room for Possession of Xanax with Intent to Distribute, Possession of a Handgun While Committing a Controlled Dangerous Substance offense, Unlawful Possession of a Knife, Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose, and Unlawful Possession of a Handgun without obtaining a permit to carry, the news release states.

According to the news release, the three occupants of the hotel room were:

• Trevor Murray, 22, of Mays Landing, NJ (also charged with Possession of a Weapon - firearm and knife - by a Convicted Felon) - Surrendered himself to Prosecutor's Office detectives on Aug. 24
• Zackery Geckeler, 23, of Galloway Township, NJ - Arrested by Hamilton Township Police officers in Hamilton Township on Aug. 24
• Ashley Villari, 23, of Mays Landing, NJ (also charged with Possession With Intent to Distribute Marijuana) - Arrested by Detectives of the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crime Unit and the Hamilton Township Police Department in Hamilton Township on Aug. 24

Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to contact the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at 609-909-7666.

Photos depict: Tywan Dixon and Donnell Nicholas

Photos courtesy of the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.