By: Richard L. Smith
A 26-year-old Trenton man has been arrested in connection to a fatal stabbing that occurred earlier this month on a city sidewalk, authorities announced.
According to information released by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Jahvel Hale was taken into custody without incident by New Jersey Transit Police on the afternoon of May 19, 2025.
He was located aboard the River Line in Palmyra. Prosecutors have filed a motion seeking to keep Hale detained pending trial.
The charges against him include first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
The investigation began on the evening of May 14, when Trenton police were called to Capital Health Regional Medical Center following reports that a man had been dropped off with a stab wound to the abdomen.
The victim, identified as 48-year-old Jermaine Scott of Hamilton, was rushed into emergency surgery but died shortly afterward due to his injuries.
Detectives with the Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department launched a joint investigation.
Through interviews with witnesses and a review of surveillance video, investigators determined that the stabbing had taken place on the sidewalk along the 200 block of Tyler Street.
Authorities said the incident followed a verbal altercation between Hale and Scott, during which Hale allegedly stabbed the victim in the upper torso.
The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office credited the swift identification and arrest of Hale to the coordinated efforts of detectives and the vital assistance provided by the New Jersey Transit Police Department.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective James Rickey of the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at (609) 989-6406.