Three men have been arrested and charged in connection to the shooting homicide that occurred on April 9, 2023, on Federal Street in Trenton, over an apparent exchange of insults on social media.
Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said the Mercer County Homicide Task Force arrested Joseph Fayson, 22, and Justin Malkin, 23, both of Trenton, and Darrin Eutsey, 23, of Hamilton, early this morning.
Fayson and Malkin are also charged with second-degree certain persons not to possess a firearm. The prosecutor’s office intends to file motions to detain all three defendants.
All three men have been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and third-degree theft by receiving stolen property.
On April 9, 2023, at approximately 6:56 p.m., Trenton police responded to a ShotSpotter notification reporting multiple shots fired in the area of Lamberton and Federal streets. Upon arrival, officers found Jhosse Tolentino, 23, of Trenton, who had been shot multiple times.
Tolentino was in the driver’s seat of his parked gray 2010 Infiniti G37, which had also been struck multiple times.
Tolentino was transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from nearby businesses and Trenton City cameras from the time of the shooting.
Surveillance video captured a black 2007 Toyota 4Runner, later identified as a stolen vehicle, cross over Lamberton Street and drive up to the victim’s vehicle.
Fayson, Malkin, and Eutsey could be seen exiting the 4Runner and approaching the victim’s vehicle with firearms. They shot at the driver’s seat area of the victim’s vehicle, then returned to and fled in the 4Runner.
The stolen Toyota 4Runner was later found by detectives parked in the rear of a vacant property on Edgewood Avenue. Video surveillance from that area showed that the 4Runner drove directly from the shooting to Edgewood Avenue where the vehicle was abandoned.
According to the investigation, there has been an ongoing feud for more than four years between H-block gang members and individuals associated with the South Trenton area, specifically individuals associated with Lamberton Street, of which the victim was a part.
The ongoing feud has included murders, shootings, and disputes on social media.
Detectives learned that, leading up to the murder, there was a dispute on social media between the victim and family members of H-block gang members.
This led to H-block member Joseph Fayson insulting the victim and Lamberton Street associates on Instagram.
The victim then shared a story on Instagram in response to one of the comments by Fayson shortly before he was murdered.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to call the Mercer County Homicide Task Force. Despite having been charged, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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