Bridgeton man charged with homicide in September 2023 shooting death of Brian Pineda
BRIDGETON, NJ – A 29-year-old man has been charged with murder and multiple weapons offenses in connection with the 2023 shooting death of Brian Pineda in Bridgeton, the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office announced Tuesday.
According to Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, Terry Stocks, of Dare Avenue in Bridgeton, was arrested on August 30, 2025, following a joint investigation by Bridgeton Police and the Prosecutor’s Office. Stocks is accused of fatally shooting 25-year-old Brian Pineda on Mt. Vernon Street nearly two years earlier.
Stocks had already been facing charges from August 22, 2025, under complaint-warrant W-2025-001378-0601. The charges include:
- First Degree Murder (N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1))
- Second Degree Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose (N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4a(1))
- Second Degree Unlawful Possession of a Handgun (N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b(1))
- Second Degree Certain Persons Not to Possess Weapons (N.J.S.A. 2C:39-7b(1))
According to the release, Bridgeton police officers were dispatched to a residence on Mt. Vernon Street at approximately 9:25 p.m. on September 3, 2023, after receiving a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located Pineda inside the home suffering from a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead shortly after.
Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a confrontation between the two men that escalated in the street in front of the residence. Stocks was identified as the alleged shooter following an extensive investigation and is currently in custody pending a pre-trial detention hearing.
The case is being handled by Assistant Prosecutor Jordan El-Bashir. Investigators involved in the case include Detective Christopher Zanni and Detective Joseph Brown of the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit.
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Key Points
- Terry Stocks, 29, of Bridgeton, is charged with first-degree murder in the 2023 death of Brian Pineda
- Pineda, 25, was fatally shot inside a residence on Mt. Vernon Street on September 3, 2023
- Stocks faces multiple weapons charges and is pending a pre-trial detention hearing