Secaucus Man Charged With Killing Man In North Bergen Monday

NORTH BERGEN, NJ — A 24-year-old Secaucus man is charged with murder in a fatal shooting in North Bergen that happened Monday morning.

The Secaucus resident is James Baker, 24.

The prosecutor says Baker fatally shot a North Bergen man on Monday, August 5.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez charged him with first-degree murder, felony murder, robbery, conspiracy to commit a robbery and weapons offenses. A North Bergen man, Arwa Elmohdli, 21, is charged as his accomplice, and charged with felony murder (as an accomplice), robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Shortly after 9 a.m. Monday, North Bergen Police were notified of an injured man in the area of Meadowview Avenue and 61st Street. Responding officers located a male victim — later identified as Juan Ortiz, 31, of North Bergen — with an apparent gunshot wound(s).

He was transported to Palisades Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:40 a.m.

Both Baker and Elmohdli have been taken into police custody and are currently being held at the Hudson County Correctional Facility pending their first court appearances.

Prosecutor Suarez credited the County Prosecutor's Homicide Unit and the North Bergen Police Department with the investigation and arrests.