3 Teens Charged In Fatal Shooting Of Taxi Driver In Somerset

SOMERSET, NJ — Three 13-year-old and 14-year-old boys were charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a taxi driver during a planned robbery on May 11, said authorities on Monday.

Investigators identified the three male juveniles, ages 13, 13, and 14, as being involved in the robbery and homicide shooting of Kofi Addo, 57, of North Brunswick, said Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives John W. Fodor, and Franklin Township Public Safety Director Quovella M. Maeweather.

The robbery occurred on Thursday, May 11 at around 9:56 p.m. in the area of Rose Street and Sydney Place in the Somerset section of Franklin Township. Read More: Taxi Driver Shot, Killed In Apparent Robbery In Somerset: Prosecutor

Ado was found suffering from a gunshot wound. The taxi had come to rest after crashing into a parked vehicle that was in a driveway of a residence on Sydney Place, said McDonald.

He was taken to an area Trauma Center where he was pronounced dead, said McDonald.

The investigation found that the juveniles intended on robbing Addo when one of the juveniles fired a shot killing Addo while he was driving the taxi, said McDonald.

The juveniles then ran away.

On Friday, May 12, all three juveniles were found by authorities. Two juveniles were in Franklin Township and the third juvenile was in New Brunswick. The juveniles were taken to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office where they were subsequently charged.

Juvenile #1 (age 14) Somerset, and Juvenile #2 (age 13) New Brunswick, both charged with:

• Murder, first -degree
• Felony Murder, first-degree
• Conspiracy to Commit Murder, first-degree
• Robbery, first-degree
• Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, second-degree
• Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, second-degree
• Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, second-degree
• Possession of a Firearm by a Minor, fourth-degree

Juvenile #3 (age 13) Somerset, NJ charged with:

• Robbery, first-degree
• Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, second-degree

The three juveniles were taken on Friday evening to the Middlesex County Youth detention center awaiting a Family Court Appearance.

On Sunday, May 14, the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner performed a post-mortem examination and determined the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death as a homicide.

McDonald commended all the law enforcement agencies that helped the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and the Franklin Township Police Department in this investigation to include the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Middlesex County SWAT team, the New Brunswick Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Franklin Resident Office.

Anyone with information relating to this homicide is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Franklin Township Police Department at 732-873-5533 or via the STOPit app.

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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