Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a Superior Court judge handed down a life sentence today to a Beverly City resident who fatally shot a 22-year-old man in Burlington City in late 2016.
Authorities say Darius Bridges, 28, must serve just under 69 years in state prison before becoming eligible for parole.
A jury found Bridges guilty in January of Murder (First Degree), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Second Degree), and one count of Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons (Second Degree).
While sentencing the defendant, the Hon. Charles A. Delehey, J.S.C., noted that Bridges has had contact with law enforcement authorities 42 times in his life, including 14 incidents as a juvenile.
“We cannot allow the streets of Burlington County to become hunting grounds where personal scores are settled with flying bullets,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “This sentence reflects the seriousness with which such criminal activity should be met.”
Under New Jersey’s sentencing guidelines, a life sentence equates to 75 years, which Bridges received for the conviction on the Murder and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose charges. Judge Delehey also sentenced Bridges to a 7-year consecutive term for violating the Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons law.
The investigation revealed that during the early evening of November 25, 2016, Bridges fired several shots along the 100 block of East Federal Street near the intersection with York Street in Burlington City, fatally striking Howard G. Young Jr., of Burlington Township.
EMS transported Mr. Young to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined the manner of death to be homicide and the cause to be a gunshot to the back.