A 38-year-old man has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of his neighbor, who was killed outside his home a month ago.
Roland E. Amos of Schmidt Lane, North Brunswick, was charged with the Sept. 1 murder of Brian A. Hoey, 43, who lived next door.
Amos was also charged on Oct. 2 with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, two counts of witness tampering for allegedly having another individual give false information to police during their investigation, and one count of hindering his own apprehension by allegedly providing false information, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and North Brunswick Police Director Kenneth McCormick.
Amos’ live-in companion, Zoraida Rodriguez, 41, was charged with one count of hindering the apprehension of Amos by allegedly providing him information in an attempt to help him avoid arrest, officials said.
The investigation began after police were called to the victim’s home at the Belcourt Townhomes at Hidden Lake at 1:26 a.m. Sept. 1.
The two defendants were charged on the evening of Oct. 2 following an intensive month-long investigation by Detective Robert Powell of the North Brunswick Police Department and Detective Gregory Morris of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Carey said.
Amos was apprehended at approximately 7 p.m. Oct. 2 as he left his job in Middlesex Borough, Carey said. Members of the North Brunswick Police Department, Middlesex Borough Police Department and Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office participated in the arrest.
Rodriguez was charged at approximately 10 p.m. at North Brunswick Police Department headquarters.
“The charges concerning both the murder and the defendants’ attempts to avoid detection and arrest were only achieved through the tireless efforts of members of the North Brunswick Police Department and the detectives at the prosecutor’s office,” Carey said.
Bail was set at $75,000 for Rodriguez. Amos was being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick, waiting for bail to be set, as of press time.
The investigation is active and continuing. Anyone with information should call Powell 732-247-0922, ext. 313, or Morris at 732-745-3904.