2 Men Charged In Fatal Shooting Of Egg Harbor Man: Prosecutor

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ — Two men have been arrested and charged with felony murder, robbery and weapons offenses in the fatal shooting of an Egg Harbor Township man, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office announced Wednesday.

Police received a 911 call on Jan. 2, 2020 at 11:20 p.m. about a shooting at 109 Vermont Avenue. Authorities found Arturo Barrera III, 24, dead at the scene.

An eyewitness told authorities that two armed men in masks entered his residence, said Prosecutor Damon Tyner.

Leonard B. Ludwigsen Jr., 26, of Egg Harbor Township, and Neco J. Pitts, 28, of Long Branch pointed guns at the eyewitness and victim, Tyner said.

When Barrera stood up, the two men started firing at him. The two men then fled the home, Tyner said.

Authorities found that Barrera suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ludwigsen Jr. and Pitts have been charged with 1st degree felony murder, 1st degree robbery, 2nd degree conspiracy, 2nd degree possession of weapons for unlawful purposes (firearm) and 2nd degree unlawful possession of a weapon (handgun).

Pitts has also been charged with 2nd degree certain persons not to have weapons.

On March 16, 2021, Ludwigsen Jr. was arrested at his Egg Harbor Township home, charged and lodged at the Atlantic County Justice Facility. Pitts was charged and is lodged in the Monmouth County Jail on an unrelated matter.

The investigation and arrests were a joint effort by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Egg Harbor Township Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office, Long Branch Police Department, Keansburg Police Department, Pemberton Police Department, Atlantic County Regional SWAT Team and the Monmouth County Emergency Response Team.

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