Man Arrested In Michigan Charged With Morris County Murder: Cops

DOVER, NJ - A 51-year-old Dover man was arrested in Michigan on Aug. 13 and charged with manslaughter in the death of a man found in the woods on June 4, according the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

Jose Elizondo-Mena was taken into custody by the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and charged with second degree manslaughter and third degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, authorities said.

On June 4, law enforcement discovered the body of a dead man in a wooded area located at the end of Monmouth Avenue. Morris County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Carlos Fonseca's autopsy identified fractures on both orbital bones, right cheek, and lower right skull. Dr. Fonseca determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma of the head and face, and the manner of death to be homicide, authorities said.

Investigators determined that Elizondo-Mena was a suspect in the homicide and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit traced Elizondo-Mena’s movements to other parts of New Jersey and later to Michigan, authorities said.

With the assistance of local law enforcement in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Elizondo-Mena was arrested. Multiple agencies contributed to the investigation and arrest of Elizondo-Mena, including the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, the Town of Dover Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, the Morris County Prosecutor’s
Office Fugitive Unit, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, authorities said.

If anyone has any information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to call the Major Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200, or the Town of Dover Police Department at 973-366-0302.

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