COUNTY MURDER RATE UP 31 PERCENT SO FAR

In a press release from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office today detailing five murders in Newark in the past two days, county officials also noted a countywide murder rate increase of 31 percent so far this year.

While there have been no such killings in Maplewood, the release noted many in neighboring Newark and other surrounding towns.

One of the 2015 murders did involve a Maplewood man, who was killed in East Orange last month.

See the entire release below:

Homicides Increase in Essex County

5 Homicides in Newark

Newark – Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Police Director Eugene Venable announced today that the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force are investigating five homicides that occurred over a two-day period. 

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, at approximately 11:56 pm Andre Singh, 32, of Newark was shot during a home invasion robbery in the 300 block of Sanford Avenue along with a 31-year-old male. They were both transported to University Hospital where Singh was pronounced dead around 3 am, Aug. 19. The other man remains hospitalized in stable condition. His name is not being released at this time.

At approximately 3:18 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19 Dashir Donaldson, 28, of Irvington was shot in the 200 block of Ridgewood Avenue in Newark. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

At 2:51 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19, George L. Cuevas, 34, of Newark was fatally stabbed by an occupant of an apartment in the 100 block of Van Buren Street in Newark. Cuevas was pronounced dead at 3:08 p.m.

At approximately 7:47 p.m. on Wednesday Michael Dantzler, 53, of Newark was fatally shot at his home in the 200 block of South 11^th Street during a dispute.

This morning a young male was found dead at approximately 5 a.m. by a passerby in Ivy Hill Park in the vicinity of Mount Vernon Place & Manor Drive. The victim appears to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds. He has not been identified yet.

Countywide homicides are up approximately 31 percent. Last year this time there were 55 homicides in Newark. So far this year there have been 58 homicides in the city of Newark, an increase of three. Homicides are up by eight in East Orange, three in Orange and by one in Irvington, Belleville and Nutley.

At this time, no arrests have been made in the five Newark homicides. The investigations into all five incidents are active and ongoing. At this stage of the investigations there is no indication that the homicides are related