Somerset County Man Charged With Homicide

Correction - Barrantes-Sequeira is 33-years-old, not 47 as previously reported.

A 33-year-old Somerset County man has been charged with the death of an also 47-year-old woman in her East Main Street home in Somerville.

According to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office:

Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Timothy Fitzgerald and Somerville Borough Chief of Police Dennis Manning announce the arrest of Oscar Barrantes-Sequeira, age 33, of East Main Street, Somerville, New Jersey.

Prosecutor Soriano states that on Sunday, November 9, 2014 at 12:57 p.m. Somerville Police Officers responded to an East Main Street apartment for a welfare check of a female resident. Responding Officers made entry into the apartment where they discovered a deceased female identified as Sarah Ross-Salardino, age 47, of Somerville.

Prosecutor Soriano states that detectives from the Somerville Police Department, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Squad, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Crime Scene Investigations and Forensics Unit and the New Jersey Regional Medical Examiner’s Office responded to conduct the investigation.

Prosecutor Soriano states that the investigation revealed that defendant Barrantes-Sequeira was involved in a verbal dispute with the victim, in the apartment, around midnight on Saturday. The verbal dispute quickly escalated into a physical altercation where Barrantes-Sequeira stabbed the victim. The defendant left the apartment at approximately 1:40 a.m. and fled in the victim’s vehicle. Detectives have not released a motive for the homicide.

Defendant Barrantes-Sequeira was charged with Murder, 1st Degree and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, 3rd Degree.

Defendant Barrantes-Sequeira was lodged at the Somerset County Jail. Bail was set by the Honorable Peter J. Tober, J.S.C.at $1,000,000.00 cash only.

A post mortem examination will be performed at the New Jersey Regional Medical Examiner’s Office in Newark, New Jersey.

Prosecutor Soriano, Chief Fitzgerald and Chief Manning request anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the Somerville Borough Police Department at (908) 725-0331, the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at (908) 231-7100, or the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.888577tips.org or www.scpo.net and click on either “Crime Stoppers” or “TIPS HOTLINE”. All anonymous Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.