RUPD, NBPD make 3 arrests for separate arson, shooting, assault incidents

This week, the Rutgers University Police Department (RUPD) and New Brunswick Police Department (NBPD) made multiple arrests related to two separate incidents that occurred on and near campus, according to a University-wide email. 

On Tuesday, the RUPD arrested and charged two men from New Brunswick for their involvement in an assault that occurred near the Douglass campus over the weekend. 

On Sunday afternoon, a man reported that he was assaulted at a local business near the Center for Vector Biology on the Douglass campus before being followed to the campus building. The victim was struck with a blunt object, and his belongings were set on fire, damaging an exterior door to a greenhouse.

The RUPD announced on Wednesday that it charged Reinaldo Martinez with two counts of both arson and criminal mischief. It also charged Jose Orozco-Cedeno with aggravated assault, theft and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose. Neither the victim nor the suspects are affiliated with the University. 

The University-wide alert sent on Wednesday also announced the arrest of a perpetrator involved in Friday morning's shooting on Easton Avenue between Somerset Street and Little Albany Street.

The incident took place at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Friday when an altercation occurred between multiple individuals, leading to one of the individuals firing a gun into the air. 

After an investigation, the NBPD charged Donte Dowdell from Somerset, who is not affiliated with the University, with three different charges, including unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

The RUPD reminds members of the University community to always stay aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activity to the police.