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Michael Owens has been charged on a six-count indictment in connection with last July's shooting death of 37-year-old Luis X. Gonzalez, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri.
Owens was charged with first-degree murder, theft, aggravated assault and several weapons offenses, Onofri said on Wednesday.
Owens was released on parole from state prison on June 1, 2020, according to public records.
As an ex-convict, Owens also was charged with second-degree "certain persons not to possess a firearm," the prosecutor said.
Owens has been detained in the Mercer County Correction Center since last July's arrest, Onofri said.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force.
On July 17, 2020, just before 9 p.m., Trenton police received calls about shots fired and a man shot in the 1000 block of South Broad Street, authorities said.
Patrol officers.found the victim, later identified Gonzalez, in the middle of the street suffering from multiple gunshots to the torso, the prosecutor said. Officers also recovered .380 caliber shell casings at the scene of the shooting.
Gonzalez was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
An investigation found that the victim was at home in his South Broad Street residence just prior to being shot. He left his house while on his cell phone and apparently was shot shortly thereafter.
The victim’s cell phone was recovered by hospital staff and turned over to police.
Investigation found that a cell phone number repeatedly contacted Gonzalez in the hour before and immediately prior to the shooting, Onofri said.
Detectives were able to locate numerous cameras in the area of the shooting and ascertain that Gonzalez walked directly from the area in front of his residence toward a vehicle and was shot several seconds later. Based on the video, the vehicle appeared to be a black Chevy Malibu which had recently been reported stolen in Hamilton, authorities said.
Investigation into the stolen vehicle led homicide detectives to a domestic violence incident that allegedly occurred in Hamilton -- also on July 17, 2020.
The incident allegedly involved an argument between Owens and his girlfriend that became physical, Onofri said. Owens allegedly placed his hand around his girlfriend’s neck in an attempt to stop the blood circulation, the prosecutor said. When the victim was able to escape his grasp, Owens fled the residence and took her cell phone so she couldn’t contact the police, Onofri said.
Further investigation found that Owens discovered Gonzalez’s number in his girlfriend’s phone and confronted her about it, the prosecutor said.
Authorities said that other surveillance video, from a nearby Roadrunner Gas Station, placed Owens near the murder scene about 25 minutes beforehand, Onofri said.
Assistant Prosecutor Michael Grillo presented the case to the grand jury.
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