Middlesex County Man Charged With Shooting Death Of New Brunswick Man

A New Brunswick man has been identified and charged with fatally shooting another city resident seven months ago, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Anthony A. Caputo, director of the New Brunswick Police Department, announced on December 18.

Rolando Martinez Sanchez, 23, was charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and possession of a handgun without a permit in the death on May 18, 2014 of Gregorio Hernandez, 28.

Bail was set at $1 million for the defendant, who has remained in custody following his arrest in May on charges that were filed in an unrelated case.

The murder and weapons charges were filed Thursday during an investigation by Detective Drew Weiss of the New Brunswick Police Department and Detective Gregory Morris of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, with assistance from members of the Newark office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Martinez Sanchez was charged after the investigation determined that he had opened fire on a group of men on Hale Street in New Brunswick and struck the victim, who was not one of the intended targets.

Mr. Hernandez was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he was pronounced dead at 1:08 a.m.

Two other men, who were sitting with Mr. Hernandez on the porch of a home on Hale Street also were wounded during the shooting. One man was treated and released from the hospital. The other man suffered a wound to his finger, but declined treatment.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Weiss of the New Brunswick Police Department at (732) 745- 5217, or Detective Morris of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-4054.

As is the case with all criminal defendants, the charges against Martinez Sanchez are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Stay on top of Patch’s local coverage of East Brunswick by subscribing to the daily East Brunswick Patch newsletter by clicking here.

Related stories on Patch:

• North Brunswick Man Arrested Leaving Scene Of Burglary; Charged With Several East Brunswick Area Thefts

• Four Texas Residents Charged With Middlesex County Home Invasions

• Prosecutor: Driver Who Struck, Severely Injured Rutgers Student Was Drunk

• Police Investigating Shooting Incident at Rutgers