ASBURY PARK – Two men have been charged with killing an Ocean County resident in Asbury Park earlier this year, officials said.
Shakri A. Prince, 29, and Jaszhark A. Rogers, 35, both of Asbury Park, are each charged with first-degree Murder, first-degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder, and related weapons offenses in connection with the death of Yahnie Patterson, 26, of Lakewood.
On June 18 around 12:15 a.m., police responded to Washington Avenue after receiving a report of shots being fired. Officers found Patterson in the roadway, having sustained a severe head injury.
Patterson was brought to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on June 21.
Police said Prince and Rogers were both suspects. Rogers was located and arrested in Neptune Township three days after the shooting, while Prince was located and arrested in Howell Township on August 19. Members of the U.S. Marshals Service assisted with both arrests.
Authorities recovered three handguns and a quantity of ammunition as a result of search warrants.
In addition, a third defendant, 22-year-old Erikah E. Handy of Neptune Township, was arrested in Asbury Park on July 26 and charged with two counts of third-degree Theft for allegedly stealing Patterson’s car and about $2,000 from his person after the shooting occurred.
“This was a complicated investigation with a great number of moving parts, and the arrests of these three individuals and the removal of three handguns from the streets mark a resounding success in our continuing effort to stem the tide of gun violence in the area,” Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey said. “We sincerely thank our dedicated and resourceful detectives, as well as our valued investigative partners, for their untiring efforts in this matter.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Prosecutor’s Office Detective Stephen Cavendish at 800-533-7443 or Asbury Park Police Department Sgt. Joseph Leon at 732-774-1300.
Convictions on criminal charges of this nature are commonly punishable by terms of up to life in state prison. Despite the charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.
