Maria Cruz of Rockaway, N.Y. was fatally shot during the robbery.
Kelvin Diaz, 31, of Elizabeth, is one of three men indicated for an attempted robbery at a cockfight in Newark where a woman was shot and killed. (Essex County Corrections Facility) NEWARK -- It was a cockfight held on a street in Newark's North Ward on a June night nearly two years, and three men planned to rob all the people who were watching, authorities say.
However, one of wouldbe robbers fired a gun, killing a woman in the crowd, authorities said.
On Monday, the three men, Samir Thomas, 24, and Kelvin Diaz, 31, both of Elizabeth, and Luis Ortiz, 28, of Newark, were indicted on charges related to the attempted robbery and killing, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray in a statement.
Murray and Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab, said the victim, Maria Cruz, 41, of Rockway, N.Y., was killed during the robbery on 100 block of Third Avenue.
Edwab, who is prosecuting the case, said Thomas fired the fatal shot.
Authorities said the shooting occurred about 3:30 a.m. on June 29, 2014. They said Cruz was taken to University Hospital where she died about an hour later.
Thomas now faces a 10-count indictment for charges of conspiracy, attempted robbery, felony murder, manslaughter, attempted burglary and weapons offenses.
Diaz was indicted on seven counts, including felony murder, attempted robbery, attempted burglary and weapons offenses.
Ortiz faces indictment for conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit burglary and animal cruelty charges, authorities said.
They said Diaz is being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility, but Thomas is in custody in North Carolina and Ortiz has been released pending court hearings.
Cruz was one of two people shot and killed in a span less than five hours in Newark.
About 11 p.m. on June 28, Raheem Hughee, 33, of East Orange was found shot on Mountainview Avenue near Cedar Avenue, officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
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