Teen Killed, 1 Hospitalized After Stabbings In Passaic Co.: Prosecutor

PASSAIC, NJ — A young man faces several charges after a fatal stabbing early Sunday morning, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office said. A 16-year-old was pronounced deceased, while a 17-year-old was hospitalized, authorities said.

Passaic police responded to Krueger Place and Poplar Street at about 1:15 a.m. for a reported stabbing. They found both victims, who were stabbed during the altercation, the prosecutor's office said.

Authorities didn't publicly identify either victim but said both live in Passaic. Officials took the injured 17-year-old to St. Joseph's University Medical Center in Paterson.

Law enforcement identified John E. Martinez, of Passaic, as the assailant. Passaic police arrested the 19-year-old without incident Monday around Grove Street and Broadway, the prosecutor's office said.

Martinez was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

The state will file a motion for Martinez's pretrial detention, which a Superior Court judge will hear, according to the prosecutor's office.