Police Investigating Rash Of Murders In Newark

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Police Director Eugene Venable announced on Thursday that the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force are investigating five homicides that occurred over a two-day period.

At this time, no arrests have been made, prosecutors stated.

The investigations into all five incidents are active and ongoing. At this stage of the investigations there is no indication that the homicides are related.

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office:

• On Tuesday, Aug. 18, at approximately 11:56 p.m., Andre Singh, 32, of Newark, was shot during a home invasion robbery in the 300 block of Sanford Avenue along with a 31-year-old male. They were both transported to University Hospital where Singh was pronounced dead around 3 am, Aug. 19. The other man remains hospitalized in stable condition. His name is not being released at this time.
• At approximately 3:18 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19 Dashir Donaldson, 28, of Irvington was shot in the 200 block of Ridgewood Avenue in Newark. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
• At 2:51 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19, George L. Cuevas, 34, of Newark was fatally stabbed by an occupant of an apartment in the 100 block of Van Buren Street in Newark. Cuevas was pronounced dead at 3:08 p.m.
• At approximately 7:47 p.m. on Wednesday Michael Dantzler, 53, of Newark was fatally shot at his home in the 200 block of South 11th Street during a dispute.
• On Thursday, a young male was found dead at approximately 5 a.m. by a passerby in Ivy Hill Park in the vicinity of Mount Vernon Place and Manor Drive. The victim appears to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds. He has not been identified yet.

According to the ECPO, homicides are up approximately 31 percent across Essex County. Last year this time, there were 55 homicides in Newark. So far in 2015, there have been 58 homicides in the city of Newark, an increase of three.

Homicides are also up by eight in East Orange, three in Orange and by one in Irvington, Belleville and Nutley, the ECPO stated.