Dozens Arrested In Essex County, Including 9 Wanted Homicide Suspects

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A major law enforcement sweep recently ended with dozens of arrests in Essex County, prosecutors say.

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the multi-agency operation took place from Feb. 14 to April 30.

In total, 56 suspects were arrested, including 14 alleged gang members. Nine of the suspects were wanted on homicide charges. Other arrestees were wanted for offenses that included assault, weapons violations and endangering the welfare of a child, authorities said.

The arrestees included residents of Belleville, Bloomfield, East Orange, Kearny, Montclair, Newark, Orange, Passaic, Paterson, Roselle and Union, as well as a resident of Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

“This initiative is a targeted, strategic effort to enhance public safety, especially as we head into the summer months when violent crime often increases,” Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said.

“The message is clear: we are committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe,” he added.

Essex County Sheriff Amir Jones credited inter-agency cooperation for contributing to the arrests.

“This is what partnership looks like,” Jones said. “This is what proactive law enforcement looks like and this is only the beginning.”

The prosecutor’s office held a news conference to announce the results of the latest law enforcement sweep on Wednesday. Watch video footage below.

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