NJ Man Kills Other Driver Who Approached Him At Red Light: Officials

CLIFTON, NJ — Officials charged a man with first-degree murder after a fatal shooting Friday night at a traffic stop in Clifton.

According to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, 67-year-old Angel Pacheco of Clifton was stopped at a traffic light just after 11:45 p.m., near the intersection of Lakeview and Merselis avenues.

Officials said another driver, 51-year-old Robert Rogers of Elmwood Park, got out of his vehicle and approached Pacheco's pickup truck. The two got into an argument, and Pacheco pulled out a gun and shot Rogers, according to authorities.

Arriving officers found Rogers with a gunshot wound to his chest; first responders took him to Saint Joseph's University Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

Officers arrested Pacheco without incident and charged him with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Prosecutors filed a motion for pre-trial detention.

The crime of first-degree murder carries a sentencing range of 30 years to life in prison.