By: Richard L. Smith
Wilfredo Cabrera-Masariegos, 34, formerly of Dover, has been sentenced to five years in state prison, as announced by Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll. The sentencing was handed down by the Honorable Ralph E. Amirata, J.S.C., on October 20.
Cabrera-Masariegos entered a guilty plea to second-degree Manslaughter before Judge Amirata on September 6, 2023.
He has been in detention at the Morris County Correctional Facility since his apprehension.
The Manslaughter conviction stems from an incident that occurred in Dover on or about July 25, 2023.
At approximately 1:56 a.m. on July 26, Dover Police received a report of a deceased person on the railroad tracks near West Clinton Street.
Upon arrival, they discovered the lifeless body of a male on the tracks. An examination conducted by the Morris County Medical Examiner's Office revealed blunt force injuries to the victim's head, and the death was ruled a homicide.
The victim was identified as Rene Rivera Hernandez, 47, a homeless individual known to frequent the Dover area.
Further investigation confirmed that Cabrera-Masariegos and the victim had been on the railroad tracks under a highway bridge during the late evening hours of July 25.
It was during this encounter that Cabrera-Masariegos struck the victim in the head with a rock and subsequently fled the scene.
The swift prosecution of this case was made possible through the collaborative efforts of several law enforcement agencies, including the Dover Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff's Office, and the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.
Cabrera-Masariegos's sentencing underscores the commitment of the legal system to ensure justice is served in cases of violence within the community.
