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Man charged in death of missing South Jersey man after body found in Camden alley

Just after 11 p.m. on Saturday, witnesses said they saw Pedro Fernandez being forced into a black pickup truck on the 1500 block of Pershing Street in Camden.

Crime scene tape.
Crime scene tape.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

A Camden man has been charged in connection with the death of a Pine Hill man whose body was found in an alleyway after he was reported missing over the weekend, officials said Monday.

Michael Branon, 32, was charged with first-degree felony murder in the death of Pedro Fernandez, 30. Detectives discovered Fernandez’s body in an alley near the 400 block of Marlton Avenue in Camden on Sunday afternoon, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Just after 11 p.m. Saturday, witnesses said, they saw Fernandez being forced into a black pickup truck on the 1500 block of Pershing Street in Camden before a man drove it away. Around 1 a.m. Sunday, officers pulled over a truck matching the description of that vehicle and identified Branon as the driver, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

Around 2 p.m. Sunday, detectives found Fernandez’s body. An investigation showed he had been shot multiple times, authorities said.

Anyone with information on the case is being asked to call Detective Andy McNeil at 856-225-8407, Camden County Police Detective Ed Gonzalez at 856-757-7400, or email tips to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.