Killer Of 27-Year-Old North Jersey Man Arrested, Police Say

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A man thought to have shot and killed a 27-year-old last week has been apprehended, according to authorities.

Edwin Betancur, 28, of Paterson, has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Joshua Fernandez, 27, also from Paterson.

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On Wednesday, around 5 p.m., police were called to the area of Butler and Sparrow streets on reports of a shooting.

While driving to the site of the shooting, officers learned that a 27-year-old gunshot victim, later identified as Fernandez, had been taken to a nearby hospital by a private vehicle, prosecutors said.

Fernandez, who had been shot once in the chest, was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to authorities.

An investigation led detectives to believe Betancur was the man behind the trigger, officials said.

Betancur was arrested on Saturday without incident, and prosecutors are seeking to keep him in detention as he awaits court proceedings.

He is charged with first-degree murder, as well as unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

If convicted of the murder charge alone, Betancur could spend the rest of his life in prison.