Police charged a Rahway man in connection with the fatal shooting of an Edison man who worked as a cab driver in Rahway.
Nathaniel Young Jr., 20, was charged Sept. 18 with first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree robbery, and a second-degree weapons offense, according to acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park.
The charges came after a joint investigation by the prosecutor’s office’s Homicide Task Force, the Rahway Police Department and the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, stemming from the Aug. 25 murder.
Police found the body of Imad Alasmar, 57, in his taxi just before 11 p.m. that night after being called to the 1400 block of Bedford Street in Rahway, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Albert Cernadas Jr., who is prosecuting the case.
Authorities said the shooting followed an attempt to rob Alasmar, the father of 10 children.
Immediately following the shooting, Alasmar’s vehicle had collided with a parked car, resulting in injuries to an adult male and an adult female. The female was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The investigation resulted in Young being identified as a suspect in the case. He is currently lodged in an Essex County corrections center on an unrelated matter.
Bail for Young was set at $1 million by state Superior Court Judge William A. Daniel. Convictions on charges of murder and felony murder commonly result in sentences ranging from 30 years to life in state prison.
A GoFundMe web page created by Nermein Salam described Alasmar as a hardworking man and devoted husband to his wife of 25 years, Ibtesam, and father of his 10 children, ages 8 to 22. “He meant everything to me,” Ibtesam Alasmar told reporters through tears outside their Edison home on Aug. 26. “I spent my whole life for him; I’m going to spend the rest of my life for his kids and I’m not going to give up.”
Born in Jordan, Alasmar came to the United States in 1990, striving to support his family and find a better life. He worked for Station Cab Inc. in Rahway for about four years. He previously had worked at 7- Eleven and QuickChek convenience stores when he first came to America, but originally was an English teacher in Jordan.
Thomas Maye, owner of Station Cab Inc., said Alasmar worked the night shift at his company.
“He was an honest, hard-working and perfect employee to have,” he said.
Donations to help Alasmar’s wife and children can be made at www.gofundme.com/ce2sub68.