2 Men Charged In Lawrence Township Shooting During Attempted Robbery: Police

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - Two Trenton residents have been charged in connection with a shooting that occurred in Lawrence Township last month, police chief Kevin Reading said Tuesday.

The charges come after a 19-year-old man was shot during an attempted robbery.

On Friday, March 28, around 5:49 p.m., Lawrence Police responded to a reported shooting at a home on Stonicker Drive.

On arrival, officers found a 19-year-old man suffering from a single non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the shoulder. Initial investigation revealed that the man had been involved in a confrontation with two suspects who attempted to steal money from him. During the ensuing physical altercation, the 19-year-old was shot, Reading said.

The victim received treatment at Capital Health Regional Medical Center and was later discharged. According to investigators, this was an isolated incident.

Following a investigation, authorities identified the suspects as Christian Stacey, 20, of Humboldt Street, Trenton, and William Yamir-Benard Matthews, 19, of Cooper Street, Trenton. Both were arrested on Monday following the execution of a search warrant, Reading said.

Stacey and Matthews each face charges of accomplice liability to robbery (1st degree), accomplice liability to aggravated assault (2nd degree), and accomplice liability to weapons offenses (2nd degree). Stacey faces an additional charge of certain persons not to possess a weapon (2nd degree).

Matthews faces multiple additional charges resulting from evidence recovered during the search warrant execution, including unlawful possession of a weapon (2nd degree), possession of an extended magazine (4th degree), possession of hollow point bullets (4th degree), possession of a weapon while committing a CDS offense (2nd degree), possession of CDS (3rd degree), and possession of CDS with intent to distribute (3rd degree).

Both were taken to the Mercer County Correctional Center where they await a detention hearing.

Anyone with further information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Paulina Way at (609) 844-7133 or via email at pway@lawrencetwp.com

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