West Orange Man Found Guilty Of 2 Murders In The Oranges

THE ORANGES, NJ — A West Orange man has been convicted of murder in connection with two homicides that took place in Orange and East Orange, prosecutors announced Monday.

Darneil Thomas, 26, of West Orange, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of attempted murder and related weapons offenses, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors released the following details about the murders, which took place four years ago:

“On March 15, 2022 at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Hilton Street in East Orange, [Thomas] and three other individuals opened fire on Qusim Rooks and David Escobar. During the attack, Thomas shot his associate, Joshua Dessin in the back of the head causing his death. The following day, Thomas traveled to Scotland Road in Orange and fatally shot Anton Douglas while Douglas was working at a mechanic’s shop. Douglas was struck multiple times, including three gunshot wounds to the head.”

Thomas is scheduled for sentencing on June 29. He faces a potential sentence of 30 years to life in prison on each murder conviction, prosecutors said.

The prosecutor’s office credited several local agencies for contributing to the investigation, including the East Orange Police Department, Orange Police Department and the Newark Police Department.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com