A second arrest has been made in the murder of 20-year-old Rondell Fairley, who was fatally shot in front of his home on Nov. 17, 2015.
JERSEY CITY -- A second arrest has been made in the murder of a 20-year-old city man fatally shot in front of his Jersey City home on Nov. 17.
Maurice Newton, 29, of Union Street near Clerk Street, was arrested yesterday and charged with the murder of Rondell Fairley, as well as weapons offenses. His bail was set at $1 million cash only.
Michael Reaves, 26, also of Jersey City, was arrested on Jan. 14 for Fairley's murder. Bail for Reaves, who has two robbery convictions and one for drugs, was also set at $1 million cash only.
Fairley, of Orient Avenue, was shot in his midsection early on Nov. 17 near Martin Luther King Drive. He was taken Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health, where he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. A gun and shell casings were recovered at the scene, officials said.
Newton has 17 prior arrests, a multi-state record and six felony convictions, including a violation of probation and bail jumping. Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hernandez argued that Newton's bail should remain at $1 million cash only when the Newton made his first court appearance on the murder charge this afternoon.
Defense attorney John Cardona asked Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale to reduce the bail to $500,000 cash or bond, arguing that Newton is a lifelong resident of Hudson County, has lived at the same address for 20 years and has ties to the community.
DePascale ruled "There will be no modification of the bail," which was originally set by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mitzy Galis-Menendez at $1 million.
The criminal complaint said the probable cause for the charges against Newton is "a witness who saw the defendant holding a handgun and facing the victim (who) was shot dead" and "video surveillance footage of the defendant in the vicinity of the shooting."