El Cajon Man Charged In Early Monday Morning Mount Laurel Fatal Hit & Run Collision
Friday, January 2, 2026, 5:00 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
MOUNT LAUREL, NJ.- On Thursday, following an investigation, a 40-year-old El Cajon, California, man was taken into custody and jailed after being charged in connection with fatally running down an E-Bike rider and fleeing the scene earlier this week in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
According to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw, Thair Maroki, 40, of El Cajon, California, was formally charged with one count of second-degree Vehicular Homicide; and second-degree Leaving the Scene of a Fatal Accident.
Maroki was taken into custody on Thursday, January 1, 2026, in Bergen County, New Jersey, and transported to the Burlington County Jail, where he was processed on the charges and jailed pending future court proceedings in Burlington County Superior Court in Mount Holly, New Jersey. The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office will file a motion with the court to detain Maroki pending trial.
The charges stem from an investigation that began on Monday, December 29, 2025, when, around 12:15 a.m., members of the Mount Laurel Police Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting an unresponsive man lying on the shoulder of Route 73 in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
Upon arrival, Responding Police Officers located the lifeless body of Anthony Caprio, 49, of Magnolia, New Jersey, having succumbed to injuries consistent with being struck by a motor vehicle, which then fled the scene. During the ensuing investigation, Detectives quickly recovered surveillance footage from several area businesses and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which revealed that Mr. Caprio was struck while riding his E-Bike by a white 2022 Jeep Cherokee bearing a California license plate, and a statewide alert was issued for the vehicle.
On Thursday, January 1, 2026, the vehicle was located in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, and Maroki was taken into custody by members of the Lyndhurst Police Department and transferred to the custody of the Mount Laurel Police Department.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
