South Jersey Man Charged With Murder in 2002 Camden Homicide

A pair of brothers have been charged in connection with a 2002 homicide in Camden, Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo and Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson said.

Angel Pinto, 41, of Westville, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 23-year-old John Rodriguez Jr., of Camden.

Pinto’s brother, 43-year-old Ramon Pinto, of Cherry Hill, was charged with first-degree witness tampering.

Rodriguez was fatally shot at Chateau Bar & Packaged Goods on the 1700 block of River Road in Camden on Aug. 30, 2002.

Police responded to the bar around around 10:15 p.m. that night for a report of a man shot inside the bar. They found Rodriguez lying between two pool tables.

He was taken to Cooper University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:16 p.m.

Witnesses told police bouncers were trying to break up a fight between Rodriguez and another man at the time of the shooting. Police determined the other man was Angel Pinto.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Service Regional Task Force captured Pinto at a business near 9th and Liberty streets in Camden around 9:30 a.m. Friday.

He is being held at the Camden County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. on Monday.

“It’s justice that is long overdue and hopefully will provide some closure to surviving family members and loved ones,” Thomson said.

Ramon Pinto was also captured on Friday. He stands accused of calling and threatening a potential witness on Feb. 20.

He was arrested Friday afternoon at his Willis Avenue home and is being held at the Camden County Jail on $250,000 bail.

“The key to solving homicides is brave witnesses,” Colalillo said. “When a witness is threatened, we will vigorously prosecute those responsible. Tampering with a witness in a homicide case is punishable by up to 20 years in state prison.”

The investigation was conducted by Cold Case Squad detectives from the Camden County Police Department and Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. The probe utilized additional investigative resources from the U.S. Marshals Service.