Four Arrested in Connection with Attempted Murder in Paterson, New Jersey

Three reputed members of the Trinitarios street gang in Paterson, New Jersey, were arrested and charged with attempted murder for beating and stabbing a 22-year-old resident who they mistakenly believed was a member of a rival gang. The incident occurred outside a house party on September 19 near East 16th and Warren streets. The victim was beaten with bottles and stabbed with a knife, leaving them injured alongside a 20-year-old companion. The fourth accused gang member, Luis Tavarez, was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping in connection with a separate incident from 2014.

Key Takeaways:

• Three reputed Trinitarios gang members, Victor Pichardo, 21, Thomas Sanchez, 19, and Christian Rodriguez, 21, were arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with the assault on September 19.
• The victim was beaten with bottles and stabbed with a knife, and a 20-year-old companion was also beaten in the incident.
• The Trinitarios gang operated in the Sandy Hill neighborhood and near Eastside High School, but the attack occurred in a different area.
• The police declined to disclose what prompted the Trinitarios to mistakenly identify the victim as a rival gang member.
• Detectives had been compiling information about the gang in response to citizen complaints and previous incidents.
• A fourth reputed gang member, Luis Tavarez, 23, was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping in connection with a separate incident from 2014.
• Christian Rodriguez, 21, was linked to the 2014 assault on the same victim, and was arrested and charged with attempted murder and weapons offenses.

Statistics:

• 3: Number of reputed Trinitarios gang members arrested and charged with attempted murder
• 4: Number of reputed Trinitarios gang members arrested in total (including at least one with attempted kidnapping charges)
• 21: Age of Trinitarios gang member Victor Pichardo
• 19: Age of Trinitarios gang member Thomas Sanchez
• 21: Age of Trinitarios gang member Christian Rodriguez
• 23: Age of Trinitarios gang member Luis Tavarez
• 22: Age of the victim in the attempted murder incident
• 20: Age of the 20-year-old companion also beaten in the incident
• 2014: Year of the separate incident in which a Trinitarios gang member was arrested on attempted kidnapping charges

Sources:

• Byline: JOE MALINCONICO, PATERSON PRESS PATERSON -- Three reputed members of a Dominican street gang that operated in the Sandy Hill neighborhood have been arrested and charged with attempted murder for beating and stabbing someone they mistakenly believed was part of a rival gang, police said.
• Source: Police Captain Heriberto Rodriguez