DOVER, NJ (Morris County) – A Dover man was arrested last month in connection with a homicide in Dover, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp said.
On June 4, law enforcement received information regarding a deceased male, subsequently identified as C.R.R., in a wooded area located at the end of Monmouth Avenue. Morris County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Carlos Fonseca, M.D., performed an autopsy on C.R.R. and identified fractures on both orbital bones, right cheek, and lower right skull. Dr. Fonseca determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma of the head and face, and the manner of death to be homicide, Knapp said.
A further investigation led to Jose Elizondo-Mena, 51, as a suspect in the homicide. Members of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit traced Elizondo-Mena’s movements to other parts of New Jersey and later to Michigan. With the assistance of local law enforcement in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Elizondo-Mena was arrested on August 13, Knapp said.
Elizondo-Mena has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and third-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose. He remains at the Morris County Jail pending a detention hearing, Knapp said.
Multiple agencies contributed to the investigation and arrest of Elizondo-Mena, including the Kalamazoo (Michigan) Department of Public Safety, the Town of Dover Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Fugitive Unit, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Knapp said.
If anyone has any information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to call the Major Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200, or the Town of Dover Police Department at 973-366-0302.
