Man Charged With Murder Of Cherry Hill Veterinarian: Prosecutor

CHERRY HILL, NJ — An Oregon man was charged in the stabbing death of a veterinarian outside of the victim's Cherry Hill home, bringing answers to an incident that put neighbors on edge.

Cristian Custodio-Aquino, 27, was charged Feb. 7 with first-degree murder in the December death of Dr. Michael Anthony. Federal marshals arrested Custodio-Aquino on Tuesday in Fresno, California, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office (CCPO).

Anthony, 45, was found dead outside his Sharrowvale Road home just after 7 a.m. Dec. 10. His death was investigated as a homicide.

Through an extensive investigation, authorities identified Custodio-Aquino as the suspect, the CCPO said Friday.

Custodio-Aquino — a Portland, Oregon, resident — knew the victim, according to the affidavit for his arrest. But the document doesn't say how they were acquainted, and it's unclear whether detectives have determined a motive.

Custodio-Aquino is incarcerated in the Fresno County Jail as of Friday afternoon. His extradition to New Jersey is pending.

Surveillance footage showed that Anthony left his home at 5:24 a.m. on the morning he was killed, authorities said. Custodio-Aquino's vehicle entered his neighborhood 5 minutes later.

Loud screams could be heard on the footage at 5:53 a.m., when detectives believe Anthony was killed. Custodio-Aquino's vehicle left the neighborhood 2 minutes later, officials said.

Detectives say they found a pair of eyeglasses at the scene. They later learned the prescription of the lenses and determined that they were sold in Washington State, authorities said.

A retailer in Washington told detectives that Custodio-Aquino purchased glasses that matched the model and prescription of the pair left at the scene.

Custodio-Aquino drove to New Jersey and had stayed around Haddon Township until Dec. 8 — two days before he killed Anthony — according to his affidavit. The suspect's vehicle was in Pennsylvania about an hour before the stabbing, authorities said.

One day after the killing, Custodio-Aquino's car was detected in Florida, Alabama and then in Texas, the affidavit says.

Anthony lived in the Barclay neighborhood — known as a quiet area where local children walk to school and bike to swim clubs. The alleged killing and the lack of answers left some of answers left some of his neighbors left some of his neighbors apprehensive in the weeks that followed.

"I think it's very unsettling, and the uncertainty is disappointing," neighbor Francine Paladino Smithgall told CBS Philadelphia in December. "The whole situation is upsetting, and we had hoped there would be more answers."

After the arrest, Cherry Hill Mayor David Fleisher commended the prosecutor's office and township police.

"Our community continues to mourn the loss of Dr. Anthony and I am pleased that a suspect in his death is in custody," Fleisher said in a statement.

Anthony owned Haddon Vet. His "lifelong love of animals made him an exceptional colleague," according to the Haddon Heights veterinary practice.

He grew up outside Washington, D.C., in a household with pets of all shapes and sizes, according to Haddon Vet. After graduating from Dartmouth College cum laude, he graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.

Anthony worked at general and emergency practices throughout South Jersey before owning Haddon Vet.

Newkirk Family Veterinarians in Egg Harbor Township, where Anthony used to work, remembered him for his "love and passion for animals and veterinary medicine."

Above all, Anthony loved spending time with his two sons, according to the obituary posted by Bradley Funeral Home.

Anyone with information on this incident can contact Det. Daniel Crawford of the CCPO's Homicide Unit at 856-580-2223 and Det. Frank Kirsch of the Cherry Hill Police Department at 856-432-8834. Tips can also be sent to CAMDEN.TIPS.