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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
that a Camden man has been indicted on attempted
murder and aggravated assault charges in connection
with an August 2008 shooting investigated
by the Camden Shoot Team under the CeaseFire
program.
The
Division of Criminal Justice obtained an indictment
charging Mark A. Young, 20, of Camden with
attempted murder (1st degree), aggravated
assault (2nd degree), aggravated assault (3rd
degree), possession of a weapon for an unlawful
purpose (2nd degree), possession of a weapon
as a convicted felon (2nd degree), and unlawful
possession of a weapon (3rd degree). The indictment
was returned by a Camden County grand jury
on Feb. 4 and handed up in Superior Court
today.
The
indictment alleges that on Aug. 7, 2008, at
approximately 12:20 a.m., Young shot a man
whom he had known for years. The victim was
sitting on the porch of a friend's house in
the 100 block of North 24th Street in Camden,
when Young approached him. The victim joked
with Young and said something that offended
him, leading to an angry exchange of words.
Young allegedly drew a handgun and shot the
victim twice, one round hitting the victim
in the wrist and nose, and the second round
going through the victim's calf. Young then
allegedly fled the scene.
The
Shoot Team was immediately dispatched to investigate
the shooting under the CeaseFire program.
The Shoot Team in Camden is made up of detectives
and investigators from the New Jersey State
Police, the Camden City Police Department
and the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.
Deputy
Attorney General Kristen Harberg, assigned
to the CeaseFire program in Camden, presented
the case to the Camden County grand jury.
Attorney
General Milgram credited the investigators
who conducted the investigation, including
Investigator Michael Dougherty of the Camden
County Prosecutor's Office, who was lead detective;
Officer John Polcyn of the Camden Police Department;
Detective Carmello Villegas of the Camden
Police Department; and the following members
of the New Jersey State Police: Detective
Sgt. Richard A. Bumbera, Detective Sgt. Laurence
P. Wachter, Detective Daniel DeLucia, Detective
Joseph Loschiavo, and Detective Carlos Rodriguez.
The
indictment is merely an accusation and the
defendant is presumed innocent until proven
guilty.
First-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of 20 years
in state prison and a $200,000 fine, while
second-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence
of 10 years in state prison and a $150,000
fine. The attempted murder and aggravated
assault charges carry a mandatory term of
parole ineligibility equal to 85 percent of
the sentence imposed. Third-degree crimes
carry a maximum sentence of five years in
prison and a $15,000 fine.
Under
the CeaseFire program, the Shoot Team in Camden
responds to all non-fatal shootings within
the city limits of Camden, conducting an intensive
investigation of each shooting as if it were
a homicide. The Camden County Prosecutor’s
Office prosecutes most of the resulting cases,
while the Division of Criminal Justice within
the Attorney General’s Office also handles
some cases.
In
addition to the law enforcement component,
the second crucial component of CeaseFire
is community outreach. Trained community outreach
workers who have familiarity and connections
with the City of Camden visit shooting victims
and witnesses and provide support and encouragement
for them to work with law enforcement. They
also sponsor various community programs aimed
at reducing violence and counteracting the
“no snitching” mentality which
has hampered law enforcement efforts to solve
crimes and make Camden safer.
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