Howell Township, NJ – A second man has been arrested and charged in connection with a deadly shooting that occurred in early June in Howell Township, authorities announced Thursday.
Salvador J. Cabellos Diaz, 47, of Jackson Township, Ocean County, has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.
On the morning of June 5, at approximately 6:45 a.m., officers with the Howell Township Police Department responded to White Street after receiving a report of a possibly deceased person inside a parked vehicle. At the scene, police discovered 36-year-old Rolando Acte Mejia, of Howell, fatally shot. He was pronounced dead from two gunshot wounds.
An investigation conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and the Howell Township Police Department determined the shooting was an isolated incident. Authorities later identified Juan Jesus Mejia Yanza, 33, also of Howell, and Diaz as suspects.
Yanza was arrested without incident on June 13 and remains in custody. Diaz was recently taken into custody and is currently being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution pending a court appearance in Monmouth County Superior Court.
The investigation remains active, and anyone with information is asked to contact MCPO Detective Kayla Santiago at 800-533-7443 or Howell Police Detective Vincent Bonner at 732-938-4111.
The case is being prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Luciano.
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Key Points
- Salvador Diaz, 47, charged with murder in connection to Howell Township shooting
- Victim Rolando Mejia was found dead with two gunshot wounds inside a parked vehicle
- Two suspects now in custody as investigation continues
