Community grieves as officials offer reward in young girl's killing

Anthony V. Coppola | The Daily Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption WATCH: Neighbor reacts to the shooting death of Bridgeton girl, shot by stray gunfire while she slept Jalana Walker reacts to the shooting death of Jennifer “Chikis” Trejo. 9, shot to death by stray gunfire inside her Bridgeton NJ home.

BRIDGETON - Hours after stray gunfire pierced the home of a 9-year-old, killing her while she slept in bed early Tuesday, police asked the community for help hunting down the suspects and the victim’s family asked their neighbors for love.

Bridgeton police said they responded to the area of Church and Elmer streets around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday for reports of gunshots.

When they arrived, officers found family members transporting the victim — 9-year-old Jennifer “Chikis” Trejo — to Inspira Health Center Bridgeton, where she died a short time later, authorities said.

The Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office and Bridgeton Police Department are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those involved in Trejo’s killing.

Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said Trejo was in her bedroom when she was struck by the gunfire.

“This is our community and we need the community’s help to solve this crime so that no other child or family has to deal with something like this in our community ever again,” Webb-McRae said.

Community grieves as officials offer reward in young girl's killing The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office held a press conference regarding the death of 9-year-old Jennifer Trejo Tuesday, July 17, 2018 in Bridgeton, N.J.

Webb-McRae said investigators found numerous 9 mm shell casings on Elmer Street, between Church and Walnut streets, and that it is unknown at this time if one or more firearms were used.

Webb-McRae said subjects were “congregated” in the area of the shooting and that they might have been the intended targets.

She also revealed information on the potential shooters.

“Investigation has revealed there were three to four males walking in the area at the time that shots were fired and that one or more of them may have been the shooter or shooters,” Webb-McRae said, adding four cars were also hit by gunfire.

The county prosecutor said detectives have canvassed the area and conducted several interviews.

“Many have told us they don’t have information,” Webb-McRae said. “We know someone out there knows what happened in the early morning hours. We are appealing to the public for any and all information that might lead to solving this senseless, tragic crime.”

Webb-McRae acknowledged there is gang activity across Cumberland County but said she could not link this murder to gang violence yet.

“We’re exploring all avenues at this time,” Webb-McRae said.

Neighbors gathered Tuesday afternoon outside a white home at the corner of Church and Elmer streets, where community members said Trejo lived.

Jalana Walker, 21, lives on the same block where the shooting occurred. The incident brought back an unfortunate memory for her. Walker said she was struck in the right leg by gunfire in a similar incident last summer on Elmer Street.

“It’s the same stuff over and over, and it’s sad, it don’t gotta be like that,” Walker said through tears as she lamented the state of her neighborhood. “We love everybody, we show everybody love, it don’t gotta be like that.”

“And it’s innocent people,” Walker said. “We got older people, my grandmom is sick, there’s people dying from natural causes and we don’t need to be stressed out with extra stuff like this, this violence. It’s gotta stop. It really does have to stop, because it hurts.”

Deacon Arnaldo Santos of Bridgeton’s Parish of the Holy Cross said he is helping the Trejo family plan services for Jennifer.

“The family needs privacy at this time, and right now we’re just working through everything with them,” Santos said. “It’s a very difficult time and the family is asking the community for love. That’s what they really need.”

Bridgeton police Chief Michael Gaimari said “police presence in the area will increase in an effort to curb the tensions there and develop information on the shooting.”

“This is different than other homicides that we’ve had where maybe a criminal shoots another criminal or there’s some type of gang violence,” Gaimari said. “This is somebody innocent, it’s a block away, it’s a freak accident that happened, but it is the result of somebody shooting a gun in a place they shouldn’t have and that’s the biggest problem we and other urban communities have, is controlling the possession of the weapon.”

Webb-McRae and Gaimari on Tuesday addressed combating gun violence not just in Bridgeton, but across the county to prevent incidents like Trejo’s death from happening.

Webb-McRae admitted they don’t have all the answers, but they do know one.

“Good men cannot remain silent,” Webb-McRae said. “People have to come forward and have to give information otherwise people who are doing this do it in their community.”

Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly also spoke about Trejo’s murder and said Tuesday was “the worst day of my political life.”

“I’ve been in office for eight years,” Kelly said. “To have something like this happen, it tears at your heartstrings. It bothers me because the chief, the prosecutor and this community have made great strides to lessen the crime and shootings in this community.”

Gaimari noted Bridgeton has seen three straight quarters of a decrease in violent crime.

“But all it takes is one incident like this to bring it all back into perspective,” Gaimari said.

Kelly said he and Gaimari personally have gone door-to-door in the area of the shooting and will continue to do so in an effort to find those responsible for the little’s girl’s killing.

“We’re going to find the person who did this,” Kelly said. “Sadly, perhaps this is the tipping point so people become so outraged (they will give information) because this could have happened to anyone."

Anyone with information is urged to contact Bridgeton Police at 856-451-0033 or use the department’s TIP411 anonymous texting line with the subtitle, “BRIDGETON.”

An average of 1,606 children age 19 or younger are murdered in shootings across the country each year, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

In New Jersey, 76 people were injured and 17 others were killed in shootings that occurred in April, the most recent number for which statistics are available.