Previously: “Updated: White, New Jersey Cop is Executed by Black Male; Township Leaders Embrace Illegal Aliens, Ignore Black and Hispanic Gangs.”
Accused shooter in killing of Lakewood police officer is arrested in Camden
Published: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 8:57 AM
Updated: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 11:58 AM
Steve Strunsky, Alexi Friedman and Chris Megerian contributed reporting, as did The Associated Press.
CAMDEN -- The 19-year-old man arrested this morning for the fatal shooting of Lakewood Police Officer Christopher Matlosz was apprehended inside an apartment in a low-rise housing development, law enforcement officials confirmed.
Jahmell Crockam, who had been the subject of a massive dragnet involving officers from across the state, was arrested without incident at 6:30 a.m., authorities said. Two other people were also taken into custody.
In a brief interview from her home in Howell, Jane Colaio, Matlosz's mother, said of the news: "I'm glad they caught him. But it doesn't bring my son back." The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office will hold an 11 a.m. press conference to provide details about the arrest.
State Police and a fugitive task force from the U.S. Marshal's Office made the arrest, Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford said.
She said detectives got information that Crockam had fled to Camden and was hiding in a unit of the Crestbury Apartments on South 8th Street. Officers raided the apartment and took him into custody.
"This concludes a massive effort by law enforcement to apprehend a person we feel is responsible for the death of Officer Matlosz," Ford said. "The arrest of this suspect now allows the Lakewood Police Department and the family and friends of Officer Matlosz an opportunity to grieve, to give tribute to their colleague, friend and loved one."
Sgt. Brian Polite, a State Police spokesman, said officers and a canine unit established a perimeter around the apartments before a SWAT team entered and arrested Crockam. Polite said two other people were removed from the apartment as well. David Gard/For The Star-Ledger
A law enforcement vehicle believed to be carrying Crockam pulls into the Ocean County Justice Complex this morning, after his arrest hours earlier in Camden. Crockam was charged Saturday with murder and weapons offenses.
The suspect has already been returned to Lakewood, where he was being held. He is expected to be brought before a judge on Tuesday.
A judge has already set bail for him at $5 million, with no opportunity to post 10 percent of that amount in cash to gain his release.
Crockam, who authorities say is a member of the Bloods gang, allegedly shot Matlosz in his patrol car Friday. The 27-year-old officer, who had been a member of the Lakewood force since 2006, died an hour later.... Thanks to my reader-researcher David in TN.
This bit of good news comes just in time for MLK day! I'm going to go look up your interview on James Edwards' Political Cesspool. It should be required listening on this most solemn of holidays.
ReplyDeleteI am writing this letter with a heavy heart. I would like to start off with the simple saying, "It takes more than giving birth to a child to be called a Mother". With that being said, I am certain some of you may wonder why we never mention Chris' mother, Jane Calaio, when we are doing our events. There is a reason for this. I have held my silence long enough and sat back and watched as she continued to throw salt into an already terrible wound. As some of you may or may not already be aware, our fallen Brother Chris Matlosz had been estranged from his mother for well over 10 years. I don't know the full reason for her estrangement from her children Chris and Adam, but I do know that they considered their late father, Anthony "Buddy" Matlosz, their only parent. I was told by Chris before his untimely passing that he cut off all contact with his "mother" when he was only 17 years old. The very first time that I had ever seen Chris' "mother" was the night of Chris' death at Jersey Shore Medical Center. It was a very emotional time for everyone, as you can all imagine. We extended to her, and every family member, the courtesy that should be expected in such a tragic time. In the days following his death we continued to extend the same courtesy and compassion anyone would expect from a local towards the family of a fallen brother. Let me explain that Chris and Kelly started building a life together 4 years ago. Kelly tried to get Chris to reach out to his "mother" after his father Buddy passed away last year. Chris chose not to mend fences with his estranged "mother" at that time. I was told by Kelly that she met Chris' "mother" for the first time at the hospital, when he was pronounced dead. In the days following the services for our Brother Chris, Kelly was advised by his "mother" that she was not going to take a thing from her, including the home that Chris was remodeling for Kelly and him, because she knew that Chris would want her to have everything she had coming to her. His "mother" said that this is what Chris would have wanted. Unfortunately, as time moves forward she has changed her mind. This past weekend Kelly received a call from the alarm company from the house they shared that someone was breaking in. When she arrived at the house, Chris' "mother" was there with a locksmith. When police arrived Chris' "mother" complained to the police that Kelly trashed the house, that she pulled the trim work off the walls. Kelly let the police know that Chris had been in the pocess of redoing the trim work when he was killed. Of course Chris' "mother" did not know that because she didn't even know her son. We now know that Chris never changed his beneficiary information to his fiancee' Kelly and still had his father Buddy listed as his beneficiary. Since Buddy died only 4 months before Chris, and Chris was only 27, he did not realize how important reassigning a beneficiary really was. He started the process of changing some accounts over to Kelly when he met his untimely death. So yes, his "mother" has been legally assigned as his executor for the entire estate of our Brother Chris, which includes the house, cars, pension contributions, in the line of duty death benefits and life insurance...all due to outdated beneficiary rules. I would like to know who thinks Chris' "mother" has a moral right to anything that Chris has worked so hard for since he ended their relationship so many years ago? If Kelly and Chris were in a domestic partnership, Kelly would receive those benefits!
ReplyDeleteI want you all to know that Kelly Walsifer had opened her heart to Chris' "mother" and was hoping she would stay true to her word and do the right thing by our Brother... but she hasn't. Please know this not about money with Kelly. This is about what Brother Chris would have wanted. Chris loved Kelly with all his heart and would want his "mother" to show Kelly the respect she deserves. Kelly's grief, as well as Adam's, who fully supports Kelly, continues to grow with the injustice of this situation. There is more to this sad story than can be detailed here. I implore those who support Kelly and Adam to forward this story so everyone knows how important beneficiary information is. It is time that the laws are changed so opportunists do not benefit from tragedy. I thank all of you for continuing to support Kelly, Adam and our Local during this emotional time. Kelly, I personally applaud your commitment to keeping our fallen brother's memory alive and you have my full support in those effort
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