2004 Media Releases:

CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
VINCENT P. SARUBBI, CAMDEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR
MEDIA   INFORMATION

May 18, 2004

Camden County Prosecutor Vincent P. Sarubbi reported that Enrique Perez, M/37, pleaded guilty today in Superior Court to Aggravated Manslaughter, admitting that he and three alleged co-conspirators planned and carried out the slaying of Hiram Rosa, a 22-year-old student at Rutgers University's Camden campus, in February 2001. Perez, who lived in the first block of South 29th Street in Camden, admitted firing on Rosa with an AK-47 assault weapon as the victim was standing by his vehicle at 2nd and Linden streets on Feb. 19, 2001.

He told the court that he and the three alleged co-participants had agreed that they would go looking for Rosa so they could kill him. They then drove around Camden in a rented minivan, spotted Rosa and shot him, investigation indicates. Perez identified the alleged co-conspirators as Tito Allen (a.k.a. Allen Resto), Bernard Murray (a.k.a. B Nice) and Lorenzo Hardwick (a.k.a. Fuquan), all of Camden.

Under the plea agreement, Assistant Prosecutor James Conley, Section Chief of the Homicide Unit within the Prosecutor's Office, will recommend Perez be sentenced to 25 years in New Jersey State Prison, including 85 percent without parole eligibility. Sentencing by Presiding Criminal Court Judge Linda G. Baxter is scheduled for Nov. 5, 2004.

Perez remains in federal custody after pleading guilty in January to federal drug and gun charges. His sentence for Aggravated Manslaughter will run concurrent to whatever federal sentence is imposed. The three alleged co-conspirators are also in federal custody, charged with conspiracy to traffic in narcotics. Sarubbi said he anticipates his office will file charges against them in the near future.

Investigation indicates that Rosa was targeted because of his longtime friendship with a Camden man who was involved in a North Camden drug territory dispute with Perez and his alleged co-conspirators. Investigation uncovered no indication that Rosa was involved in any criminal activity.

"This is an important day for the family of Hiram Rosa, the Rutgers community and the North Camden neighborhood," Sarubbi said. "This is a significant step toward identifying the individuals responsible for taking the life of a promising young Rutgers student and bringing them to justice."

Sarubbi credited the agencies involved in the investigation - the U.S. Attorney's Office under the direction of U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Christopher Christie; the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Lampinski; Rutgers Police, under the direction of Chief Guy Still; Camden Police, under the direction of Chief Edwin J. Figueroa; the Camden County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael W. McLaughlin; the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Pasterchick; and the U.S. Marshal's Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal James T. Plousis.

All persons charged with or accused of criminal offenses are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court of law.