Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri reported todaythat an investigation by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force has led to the arrest of a Ewing man for last week’s murder of Ms. Katherine Montenegro at a Hamilton Township 7-Eleven.
Officials said Mr. Joshua Lopez, 23, was taken into custody in Ewing Township late Monday evening by members of U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force with assistance from the Mercer County Tactical Response Team, Mercer County Homicide Task Force and Mercer County Narcotics Task Force.
Officials said on onnTuesday, May 18, at approximately 1:50 a.m., Hamilton Police Division Patrol Units responded to a shooting in progress in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven on Lalor Street.
Officers arrived on scene and located the victim, identified as Ms. Katherine Montenegro of Trenton, lying in the parking lot near the storefront curb suffering a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
As part of the investigation conducted by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force, area video surveillance was reviewed, and witnesses were interviewed.
Detectives established that Lopez and the victim were acquaintances,and Lopez was identified as the suspected shooter.
He is charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a weaponand one count of second-degree certain persons not to possess a firearm.
The prosecutor’s office has filed amotion to detain Lopez pending trial.
The murder remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call HTF Detective Ahmad Mansur at (609) 989-6406. Information can also be emailed to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.