Decade In Jail For Man Who Killed ‘Vibrant’ Teen In Newark Crash

NEWARK, NJ — A man who killed a “vibrant and altruistic” 19-year-old during a hit-and-run crash in Newark last year has been sentenced to a decade in state prison, authorities announced Tuesday.

Gustavo Palomo, 39, of Newark, was sentenced to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison for killing 19-year-old Jaleel McCauley in a hit-and-run car crash in March of 2019, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Palomo pled guilty to vehicular homicide last December, authorities said.

Prosecutors released the following details about the crash:

“On March 17, 2019 at approximately 6:39 p.m., McCauley was struck from behind by a white pickup truck while his car was stopped at a red light on the exit ramp of I-280 and First Street in Newark. McCauley sustained serious injuries and on March 23 he died from those injuries.”

Palomo, the driver of the white pickup truck that struck McCauley, fled the scene but was quickly apprehended. A police investigation revealed that Palomo was traveling at a “high rate of speed” and driving under the influence of alcohol, prosecutors said.

Under the No Early Release Act, Palomo must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Assistant Prosecutor Brian Pollock said McCauley was “vibrant and altruistic,” and that he had a promising life ahead of him. His death has caused “unfathomable pain” to the people who loved him, Pollock added.

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Newark Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com