New Jersey residents face charges in weekend shooting in Keene

Two New Jersey residents face charges in connection with a shooting in Keene on Sunday afternoon that left a man with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Joel Cruz, 31, of Union City, N.J., is being charged with first-degree assault and reckless conduct, and Luis Nunez Jr., 29, of Jersey City, N.J., is being charged with accomplice liability for first-degree assault and accomplice liability for reckless conduct, Keene police said in a news release Monday.

Both were in custody in Massachusetts, pending extradition to New Hampshire, the release says. Keene police Detective Lt. Joel Chidester said they'd be formally charged with the crimes once extradited.

Keene police responded to the shooting near 112 Gilsum St. shortly before 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Cruz is believed to have fired multiple shots, one of which struck a man, according to Chidester. The shooting took place in the parking area of an apartment complex, although neither the suspects nor the man shot appeared to live at the complex, Chidester said. He said it was not immediately clear to police why they were there.

The injured man drove himself to nearby Cheshire Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, Keene police said in a news release Sunday night. Chidester said he was not able to give details of the man's injury, but said he was in stable condition Monday.

Walpole police located a vehicle thought to belong to the suspects Sunday, but the car failed to stop, Sunday's news release said.

Walpole police pursued the vehicle onto Interstate 91 south and, along with Brattleboro police and other agencies, into Massachusetts, where the car crashed in Bernardston, police said.

The three people in the car fled on foot but were taken into custody shortly after, Brattleboro police said in a news release Monday. Chidester said the third person in the car was not currently facing any charges.

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Massachusetts State Police also helped Keene police in the investigation.

Brattleboro police, Walpole police and Massachusetts State Police could not be reached for comment Monday.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Keene police Detectives Don Lundin or Jen Truman at 603-357-9813.

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James Rinker can be reached at 603-355-8569, or jrinker@keenesentinel.com.

Abigail Ham can be reached at aham@keenesentinel.com or at 603-355-8554.

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