Newark police seek warrant to arrest suspect in slayings
by Jonathan Schuppe and Claire HeiningerWednesday August 08, 2007, 6:37 PM



Newark police believe they have zeroed in on at least one suspect in Saturday's execution-style slaying of three college students, and are waiting for prosecutors to sign an arrest warrant, according to law-enforcement sources close to the investigation.


The attack's lone survivor, 19-year-old Natasha Aeriel, identified the suspect in a photo array presented to her by Newark detectives Monday, according to sources who spoke to the Star-Ledger on the condition of anonymity since they are not allowed to speak openly about the case.

Since then, Newark police have been pressing Essex County prosecutors to sign an arrest warrant that would give them the power to locate and arrest the suspect, sources say.

The prosecutors, sources said today, have resisted, saying they wanted to wait until they could take a formal statement from Aeriel, who is hospitalized.

The warrant may come as soon as today, after investigators from the prosecutor's office take a taped statement from Aeriel. The police sources expressed hope the statement would be the final piece they needed to obtain the warrant.

During an afternoon press conference, Newark Mayor Cory Booker refused to confirm that an arrest is imminent, calling reports "rumor and speculation" that undermines the investigation. He refused to provides any updates in the case.

"We have encouraging leads but that is all I am going to tell you at this point," the mayor said during the press conference, where authorities announced the arrest of a suspect in a separate Newark killing on Sunday. He said authorities "are taking every step necessary to protect" Aeriel and the victims' families from witness intimidation.

The reward for information leading to arrests in the slayings has increased to $150,000, the mayor said. The Newark Community Foundation, meanwhile, has raised $100,000 for the victims' families, Booker said. To donate, call (973) 733-5888.

The massacre unfolded around 11:30 Saturday night, when Aeriel, her brother and two friends drove to a playground behind Mount Vernon School in Newark's Ivy Hill section to drink, eat and listen to music, authorities said.

When they arrived, there were two men at the playground already. But soon afterward, two or three additional men showed up, and the friends started to panic. They exchanged text messages on their cell phones saying they ought to leave, according to police.

But before they could leave, the men approached the four friends and announced a robbery, police said.

Aeriel was shot first, through the face, and left near some aluminum bleachers. The other three -- her brother, Terrance Aeriel, Iofemi Hightower and Dashon Harvey -- were walked to a school wall, forced to kneel and shot in the back of the head.

The last three, described by family, friends and officials as model students at Delaware State University, were dead by the time police arrived in response to a 911 call.

The brutality of the attacks outraged the public, some of whom blamed Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who won office last year on a pledge to cut violent crime. Booker, clearly shaken, has spent the week defending himself and urging the city to come together to help solve the crime and to heal.

Behind the scenes, Newark detectives have been working around the clock to hunt the killers. Their biggest break began with a fingerprint lifted from a beer bottle found at the scene, sources said today.

Another potential lead fell flat when security cameras that overlooked the scene of the massacre were found askew Monday morning, having stopped recording without capturing any images that would direct police to the killers. Officials said it was the first time in the five years since the devices were installed that someone had tampered with the cameras.

Police Director Garry McCarthy said today the "possiblity exists" that the two security cameras in back of the school were deliberately vandalized before the murder, just as the possibility exists that the killings were gang-related. But he stressed that in the context of the ongoing murder investigation, those matters are secondary to catching the kille

Arlington and the DSU family. Please know that we are extremely saddened by these events. On a more personal level, my heart just aches for our lost youth and the fact that they are part of my MEAC family

I have corresponded with Dr. Reed who is sending our condolences via the Public Relations Department. Per her email:

quote:

Thanks for sharing. I will ask my team to add a statement regarding our support and pledge to hold them in our prayers.

Perhaps we can send our prepared statement to their website.

Ms. Kershaw will be asked to visit with Ms. Mongal by phone.

Thanks!

Note: Ms. Mongol is our NAA President.