2 Men Charged After Victim Shot In Leg In Jersey City: Officials

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Jersey City police arrested two men last week in connection with a shooting last month, they said Monday.

Nahzir Spencer, 18, was arrested at a home in Newark on Thursday, and Vernon Jenkins, 20, was arrested shortly afterward at his residence on Van Wagenen Avenue in Jersey City, said public safety spokesperson Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione.

Wallace-Scalcione said that a man was shot in the leg just before 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 2 in the courtyard of 85-57 Van Wagenen Ave.

The U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, the JCPD Criminal Warrants Unit and JCPD Cease Fire Unit spent weeks investigating, Wallace-Scalcione said.

Spencer was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Jenkins was charged with hindering apprehension.

Both men were taken to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.

“Our detectives kept working this case until they had identified the suspects and secured arrest warrants,” said Police Chief Robert Kearns. “I want to thank them and the officers who located both men and took them into custody without incident.”

13 Guns Off Streets

Police have made 27 gun-related arrests since Sept. 1, the city noted in a release, taking 13 guns off the streets.

“These arrests are the result of outstanding police work," said Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. "Our officers are out there every day working to keep our residents safe, and our detectives are conducting thorough investigations to identify those responsible for bringing violence to our neighborhoods and bring them to justice."

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