NJ Man Beat Woman To Death, Abducted 3-Year-Old Son, Officials Say

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A 34-year-old Passaic County man beat a woman to death, then abducted their three-year-old son, officials said.

Matthew Vega, of Paterson, faces several charges following the deadly assault and abduction that took place at the end of last month.

Shortly after 6:30 a.m. on March 27, police were called to 299 Market Street in Paterson, where they found an unresponsive 29-year-old woman.

This coincided with a State Police alert that a three-year-old boy had been abducted by Vega, who was the primary suspect of the assault.

The boy, later confirmed to be Vega and the victim's son, was found safe. Vega was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated assault.

The boy's mother, who was rushed to a nearby hospital, succumbed to her wounds the next day, officials said.

Following the death of the woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, Vega was issued the additional charge of first-degree murder on Tuesday.

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

Anyone with additional information on this incident is asked to contact the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org.