Final 2 suspects arrested in ambush shooting of 2 Camden detectives
Alaexander DeJesus and Ammar Hall and a third suspect were identified last week as suspects in the Aug. 7 shooting.
The two remaining fugitives sought in the shooting of two Camden detectives earlier this month were arrested in Philadelphia late Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
The two men arrested Tuesday — Alexander DeJesus, 19, of Philadelphia, and Ammar Hall, 26, of Camden — and a third man were identified last week as suspects in the Aug. 7 shooting of the detectives in an unmarked police vehicle. The third suspect, Juan Figueroa, 20, of Camden, was arrested Saturday night in Gloucester City.
At a news conference Tuesday night in Camden County Police Department headquarters, Police Chief Scott Thomson said Hall was picked up about 5:20 p.m. on a street corner in Kensington by the U.S. Marshals Service. DeJesus was apprehended an hour later at a house in Kensington.
DeJesus had dyed his hair blonde in an attempt to avoid capture, Thomson said, adding: "But that didn't seem to work out too well for him."
Both men were arrested without incident, he said. No weapons were recovered.
Hall and DeJesus were being held Tuesday night at Police Headquarters and will face extradition to New Jersey.
"Make no mistake about it, they will be brought to Jersey, and they will face justice on this side of the river," Thomson said.
Figueroa, who remained in custody Tuesday night in Camden, faces an initial appearance in Superior Court on Friday.
The injured detectives, whose names have not been released, were notified about the arrests.
"Physically, they are doing better. But I'm sure, as you can imagine, they still have a very long road to go," Thomson said. "Tonight's arrest does help a bit in that process."
Thomson said all three suspects had extensive criminal records. He declined to comment on a motive for the ambush.
"What is pretty clear to us was their intent to kill the individuals in that vehicle. We're going to interview these suspects, and we're going to see what they've got to say," Thomson said.
Authorities have said the three men were in a white van when they pulled behind the detectives, who were sitting in their car while working in 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 police called an unprovoked attack.
One of the detectives returned fire as the suspects fled. Both detectives were treated for their injuries at Cooper University Hospital.
Last week, Thomson described Figueroa, DeJesus, and Hall as "homicidal maniacs," adding: "These folks don't need to be walking the streets of society."
The three face attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons possession charges.
At the time of the Tuesday arrests, a $60,000 reward was still being offered in exchange for information that led to their arrests.