Baltimore man charged with premeditated murder of Sierra Johnson

GARFIELD, NJ — Bergen County authorities have arrested two people in connection with a falsely reported shooting incident in Garfield, New Jersey. The arrests follow an investigation by the Bergen County District Attorney’s Office and Garfield Police Department.

Damien I. Flores, 18, of Garfield, and Samantha N. Delacruz, 22, of Elmwood Park, were taken into custody on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. The charges stem from an incident that occurred on July 26, 2024, when Flores was being treated for a gunshot wound at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey.

Flores initially told officers he was injured in a drive-by shooting near Belmont Park in Garfield. The Bergen County District Attorney's Office's Special Investigations Unit, in conjunction with Garfield police, launched a joint investigation into the incident.

As the investigation progressed, authorities discovered that the statements of Flores and Delacruz did not match. Delacruz, who drove Flores to the hospital, gave a statement that contradicted Flores' version of events. Investigators ultimately concluded that there had been no drive-by shooting and that the gunshot wound had been accidental and self-inflicted while he was in Delacruz's vehicle.

Prosecutor Mark Musella announced that Flores and Delacruz were arrested without incident. The case remains under investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and Garfield Police Department. “This is what happened,” the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.