A 22-year-old Paterson man was charged with murder in the death of his cousin, who was found unresponsive Monday in a basement apartment in the city, authorities said.
Darwin Estrada-Cruz is charged in the death of Jose Estrada-Cruz, 31, who was found in the apartment in the area of Straight Street and 16th Avenue in Paterson, according to Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes.
Paterson police were called to the area shortly before 2 a.m. Monday on a report of a fight and found Jose Estrada-Cruz in the home, Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi said Tuesday in a joint statement.
“The victim was subsequently pronounced deceased. During the course of the investigation, detectives learned that the victim’s cousin, Darwin Estrada-Cruz, caused the victim’s death,” Valdes and Abbassi said. A cause of death was not given.
Darwin Estrada-Cruz was charged with first-degree murder and held pending a detention hearing scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Attorney information for the suspect was not immediately available.
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