A 41-year-old Pennsylvania man has been charged with murder and is being held on $10 million cash-only bail in connection with the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old Kearny girl on Thursday, Hudson County Acting Prosecutor Gaetano T. Gregory announced today.

Cruz Martinez, Jr., 41, of West 14th Street, Hazelton, PA, was charged late Saturday evening with the murder of Alishia Colon, 16, who was found shot to death in her Kearny home on Thursday.

Martinez, who was arrested on an unrelated warrant, is being held in Pennsylvania, and is awaiting extradition proceedings, officials said. He was charged by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office with murder in the first degree, and unlawful possession of a firearm in violation and possesion of firearm for an unlawful purpose in the second degree, officials said.

The Wilkes-Barre, PA., Citizens Voice reported tonight that Martinez was arrested on a warrant for stealing an 80-inch television, valued at $4,248 from a local Walmart. He was charged in the Colon murder after Wilkes-Barre police received a telephone call from a New Jersey detective, the newspaper reported.

Friends, community react to shooting death of 16-year-old Kearny girl 18 Gallery: Friends, community react to shooting death of 16-year-old Kearny girl

On Thursday at 6:20 p.m., Kearny police were called to the second floor residence at 253 Belgrove Drive in Kearny on

, reports said.

Kearny officers found the victim, Alishia Colon, in her bedroom with a gunshot wound to her head. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Earlier that same day, Kearny police were called to the area of 250 Belgrove Drive on a report of a street fight involving some of the victim's relatives.

The victim, however, was not involved in that dispute, officials said.

Edwin Mendez Jr., 37, of Belleville, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and making terroristic threats in the earlier scuffle, officials said.

Homicide detectives are still investigating any possible connection between the that street fight and the murder.

Kearny girl Alishia Colon was found dead in her bedroom last night, the victim of an apparent gunshot wound to her head, authorities said.

Ricardo Baez, Colon's boyfriend's father, said Friday that Colon was baby-sitting her younger brother and hid him from the shooter.

However, investigators have not confirmed if the boy was in the room during the shooting.

The death has come as a shock to friends who described the Kearny High School sophomore as caring and a hard working student.

The Prosecutor's Homicide detectives, along with Kearny police, are continuing the investigation and looking for other possible suspects.

Officials declined to provide information regarding the circumstances of the murder or possible motive for the shooting.

"No further details at this time ... because of the active investigation," said Assistant Proseuctor Gene Rubino this afternoon.

On Saturday Martinez was arrested in Pennsylvania by authorities on an unrelated open warrant from Pennsylvania, and later charged by Hudson County Prosecutor's Officers with Colon's murder.

Bail for Martinez was set at $10 million cash only. Martinez is currently being held in a Pennsylvania jail awaiting extradition proceedings.



Anyone with information regarding the murder is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit at the confidential line, (201) 915-1345 or hcpotips@hcpo.org.