HACKENSACK, N.J. – A Bergen County man has pleaded guilty to killing his co-worker with a hammer inside a Northvale business in 2021, prosecutors announced.
According to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, 28-year-old Christian V. Giron of Harrington Park entered a guilty plea in Superior Court on December 12 to first-degree homicide in the death of 43-year-old Jeanette A. Willem. The plea agreement calls for a 50-year prison sentence under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, meaning Giron must serve at least 85 percent of his term before becoming eligible for parole.
Authorities said that on October 27, 2021, Northvale police responded around 8:15 a.m. to a business on Ludlow Avenue after receiving reports of a person severely injured. Officers arrived to find Willem dead from a head wound. Investigators determined Giron, a co-worker, had struck her with a hammer during an altercation inside the workplace.
Giron was identified as the suspect within hours and taken into custody the same day.
Assistant Prosecutors Stephen Bollenbach and Kristin Rempusheski represented the state, while Giron was represented by attorney Mario Blanch. Sentencing is scheduled for February 6 in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack.
Prosecutor Musella commended the work of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Northvale Police Department, and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation and dedication to securing justice for the victim’s family.