Man sentenced to 5 years in state prison for killing homeless man in Dover
DOVER, NJ (Morris County) – A man has been sentenced to five years in state prison for killing a homeless man earlier this year in Dover, according to Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll.
Wilfredo Cabrera-Masariegos, 34, formerly of Dover was sentenced on Oct. 20 to five years in New Jersey State Prison subject to 85% parole ineligibility pursuant to the No Early Release Act, Carroll said.
Cabrera-Masariegos had previously entered a guilty plea on Sept. 6 to second-degree manslaughter. He has been detained at the Morris County Correctional Facility since his apprehension, Carrol said.
On Jul 26, at around 1:56 a.m., police responded to the railroad tracks near West Clinton Street on a report of a deceased person. Upon arrival, officers located 47-year-old Rene Rivera Hernandez, who frequented the Dover area, deceased on the railroad tracks, Carroll said.
An examination by the Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed blunt force injury to the victim’s head, and the manner of death was ruled homicide, Carroll said.
A further police investigation confirmed that Cabrera-Masariegos and Hernandez were on the railroad tracks under a highway bridge in the late evening hours of July 25, Carroll said.
Cabrera-Masariegos struck Hernandez in the head with a rock and fled the scene, Carroll said.
“Numerous law enforcement agencies contributed to the swift prosecution, including members of the Dover Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office,” Carroll siad.