1 of 3 suspects in Camden County police ambush now in custody
Juan Figueroa, 20, was arrested Saturday in connection with an Aug. 7 shooting that left two Camden County detectives wounded.
Camden County police have caught one break in their pursuit of three young men who stand accused of shooting two detectives in an unmarked police cruiser earlier this month.
Juan Figueroa, 20, was arrested Saturday night in Gloucester City, N.J., according to Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson. The development came just a day after authorities identified Figueroa and two others, Alexander DeJesus and Ammar Hall, as the suspects in the brazen Aug. 7 shooting, which coincided with National Night Out.
Thomson encouraged DeJesus, 19, of Philadelphia, and Hall, 26, of Camden, to surrender peacefully. A $60,000 reward is still being offered in exchange for information that leads to their arrests.
Authorities have said the three men were in a white van when they pulled behind the detectives, who were sitting in their car while they worked a surveillance detail in Camden's Bergen Square neighborhood. Two of the men stepped out of the van and fired 10 to 25 rounds from semiautomatic weapons at the detectives in just seven seconds in what appeared to be an unprovoked attack.
The detectives, whose names have not been released, were wounded, but one managed to return fire as the suspects fled. Both detectives were treated for their injuries at a local hospital and released.
Thomson described Figueroa, DeJesus, and Hall as "homicidal maniacs" during a Friday news conference. "These folks don't need to be walking the streets of society," he said.
The three face attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons possession charges.