Man Sentenced To State Prison For September 2022 Hammer Beating Death
Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 12:00 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
ELIZABETH, NJ.- On Friday, September 6, 2024, a 34-year-old Elizabeth, New Jersey, man appeared in Union County Superior Court and was sentenced to 25 years in New Jersey State Prison for the brutal bludgeoning death of Carmen Lopez Barahona, 30, of Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel reported that on Friday, Union County Superior Court Judge Chanel J. Hudson sentenced Victor H. Rodriguez Gomez, 34, to twenty-five years in state prison for the charge of first-degree Aggravated Manslaughter. This sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, which would require Gomez to serve 85% of his custodial term before becoming eligible for parole.
Gomez previously pleaded guilty to the first-degree Aggravate Manslaughter charge on July 22, 2024.
According To Assistant Prosecutor Reyes
According to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Jillian Reyes, who prosecuted the case, on Sunday, September 11, 2022, shortly after 2:00 a.m., members of the Elizabeth Police Department responded to a report of a woman lying on the ground on the 200 Block of Lt. Glenn Zamorski Drive in the City of Elizabeth.
Upon arrival, Police Officers found the female victim, later identified as Carmen Lopez Barahona, who had sustained fatal injuries as a result of severe blunt force trauma to her head.
Investigation Reveals
The investigation determined that after the beating death, Gomez fled the scene. Police later located his vehicle in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Gomez was later apprehended and turned over to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office without incident.
“We are grateful for the hard work of Assistant Prosecutor Jillian Reyes, Homicide Task Force Detective Kenneth Luongo and Sergeant Filipe Afonso, and Elizabeth Police Department James Szpond,” said Union County Prosecutor Daniel. “The Union County Prosecutor’s Office, together with law enforcement agencies throughout Union County, are committed to ensuring that those who commit such egregious acts are held accountable. Our thoughts remain with Ms. Lopez Barahona’s family and friends during this time.”
