Escaped NJ Convict Captured In Camden After Week-Long Manhunt

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — A man convicted of attempted murder who escaped from a New Jersey halfway house was captured Friday after nearly a week on the run, according to authorities.

Edward Berbon, 54, was apprehended in Camden around 2:20 p.m. by the New Jersey Department of Correction's fugitive unit, the agency said in a statement. He was taken into custody without incident, authorities said.

"My deepest appreciation to the hard work and dedication by the Special Investigation Division to locate and bring this individual into custody," Commissioner Victoria Kuhn said in a statement. "The New Jersey Department of Correction's Fugitive Unit is among the best at what they do and we are grateful for their work to bring this case to a quick resolution."

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On Sept. 23, authorities said that Berbon failed to report to a community program after his shift at an unspecified retail job in Mount Laurel. Officials initiated a walkaway protocol at 8:45 p.m. that evening, and Mount Laurel police announced Tuesday that Berbon escaped custody.

Berbon has been in state custody since September 2004, nearly two months after the attempted murder in Mercer County. He was sentenced in June 2005 to up to 22 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 18 years, 8 months and 10 days.

His release was scheduled for Feb. 12, according to state records.

Since Jan. 19, Berbon has been living in Hope Hall, a residential program in Camden that helps prison inmates return to community life.