TRENTON, NJ — Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri announced this week that Treizon Thompson, 23, and Tyzir Hamilton, 22, have been sentenced to 60 years in state prison each, without the possibility of parole.
The sentences were handed down by Mercer County Superior Judge Peter E. Warshaw on January 4, 2024. Both Thompson and Hamilton received two consecutive 30-year terms, each with a mandatory 30-year period of parole ineligibility.
During their trials in December 2022 and September 2023, Thompson and Hamilton were found guilty on all counts, including two counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a handgun. The convictions stem from a shooting on August 9, 2020, around 7:30 a.m. on Centre Street in Trenton. Patrol officers responding to a shooting report found 18-year-old William Irizarry and Julius Vargas, also 18, with gunshot wounds. Irizarry was pronounced dead at the scene, while Vargas later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Investigations led by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force (HTF) identified a black Chrysler 300 with Pennsylvania plates, used by the assailants. Surveillance footage showed the vehicle circling the area before the shooting and the suspects, identified as Thompson and Hamilton, firing at the victims. The vehicle, stolen from Bensalem, Pennsylvania, was later involved in a high-speed chase and crashed, leading to the recovery of a 9mm Taurus handgun used in the murders.
The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit also played a crucial role, extracting evidence from Irizarry’s cell phone, including a Facebook post that allegedly disrespected the H-Block gang. This, along with social media monitoring, helped link the suspects to the crime.
Prosecutor Onofri commended the HTF for their meticulous investigative work and the public for their essential assistance in the case. Deputy First Assistant Prosecutors Kathleen M. Petrucci and Michael C. Borgos represented the state in prosecuting these cases.