North Jersey Man Sought In Fatal Shooting

A North Jersey man is being sought after he was charged in a fatal shooting during an altercation.

Jahmmel Chephas, 32, of the Franklin Park section of Franklin township, was charged with murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in the fatal shooting on February 14, 2015 of Richard Pryce, 31, of Perth Amboy.

Chephas, who fled after the Perth Amboy shooting and remains at large, also was charged with being a certain person not to have a weapon. The charge was filed in response to an unrelated case involving Chephas, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the MCPO:

The charges were filed during an investigation by Detective Sandra Rivera of the Perth Amboy Police Department and Detective Jeffrey Temple of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Police were dispatched to the 829 Lounge, a tavern on Amboy Avenue in Perth Amboy, at 1:35 a.m. on February 14, 2015.

The investigation determined that Chephas and the victim had been involved in an altercation at the bar and that the victim was shot multiple times on Amboy Avenue at theBarclay Street intersection.

The victim returned to the bar and was taken by an unidentified friend to Raritan Bay Medical Center, Perth Amboy Division. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 3:02 a.m.

An autopsy by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office showed the victim died from the shooting and that the manner of death was a homicide.

Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County Inc. is offering a reward to anyone who wants to anonymously provide information that leads to the arrest of Chephas.

Anyone with information may contact Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County Inc. by calling 1-800-939-9600.

Additionally, people with information may contact Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County Inc. at its website, middlesextips.com. Text messages may be sent to 274637 (CRIMES) with the keyword ‘’midtip’’ followed by a message.

Those who call will be given instructions on how to collect cash rewards by using a numerical code that will be recognized by a local bank, which will pay the rewards.

The amount of the awards will be decided by the Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County Inc. Board of Directors.

The investigation is active and is continuing. Anyone with information is also asked to call Detective Rivera of the Perth Amboy Police Department at (732) 324-3856 or Detective Jeffrey Temple of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3373.

As is the case with all criminal defendants, the charges against Chephas are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.