TRENTON — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) today announced four additional defendants have entered guilty pleas stemming from their involvement in events surrounding the shooting of a New Jersey State Police (NJSP) detective at a Salem County mobile home park.

Markese Rogers, 30, of Pittsgrove, New Jersey, along with Bridgeton residents Ashley Acevedo Diaz, 27, Shakeem Waters, 36, and Noel Lazu, 25, entered guilty pleas on February 14, 2025 and February 21, 2025, related to the events surrounding the shooting of NJSP Detective Richard Hershey in 2020 at the Harding Woods mobile home park in Pittsgrove. Their pleas were entered during pretrial conferences before New Jersey Superior Court Judge Russell A. DePersia, presiding at the Salem County Courthouse in Salem, New Jersey.

As part of a plea agreement with OPIA, Rogers, Waters, and Lazu each admitted to conspiracy to commit aggravated assault (3rd degree) while Acevedo Diaz pleaded guilty to riot (3rd degree). Based on their plea allocution, the four defendants traveled with others in a group to a residence at the Harding Woods trailer park with knowledge that Acevedo-Diaz had a deadly weapon.  Rogers, Waters, and Noel Lazu acknowledged that Acevedo-Diaz was going to use that deadly weapon to injure a victim at a residence in Harding Woods. Acevedo-Diaz acknowledged in her plea allocution that in the course of the group’s disorderly conduct one or more of them planned to use a deadly weapon. Pursuant to agreements with the State, in exchange for those pleas, the State will recommend the following sentences be imposed by the court during an upcoming sentencing hearing:

• Rogers — five years in New Jersey state prison
• Noel Lazu — three years in state prison
• Acevedo Diaz — time served of nine months in jail, conditioned on probation
• Waters — time served of 10 months in jail, conditioned on probation

“The plot by several of these defendants to commit violence led to a member of the New Jersey State Police nearly being killed,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Detective Hershey’s courage under fire was extraordinary. I’m grateful for his recovery and continued service, and for the work of the investigators and prosecutors who ensured that the defendants involved in this incident were brought to justice.”

“Thanks to our career prosecutors and law enforcement partners, these defendants have been held accountable for participating in their plan to violently attack others,” said Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA.  “Attacks on law enforcement, and anyone, are taken seriously and will be prosecuted.”

Based on court documents as well as prior statements and evidence presented in court, on April 25, 2020, Detective Hershey was shot and wounded while in the process of investigating a home invasion, in which a woman had been beaten and robbed at Harding Woods, on Harding Highway in Pittsgrove. According to the NJSP, during the home invasion, five suspects forced entry into a residence where they assaulted the victim by kicking, punching, and striking her with objects, causing serious injuries. After the assault, the suspects stole the victim’s cell phone and left.

Several hours later, Detective Hershey was at the crime scene conducting witness interviews. According to an investigation by the NJSP, OPIA, and the Division of Criminal Justice, a hostile group of 15 people pulled up in five vehicles at approximately 10:30 p.m., intending to attack a family member of the victim who resided inside the mobile home park. The members of the caravan were armed with handguns, a knife, and a bottle, and planned to use those deadly weapons in the attack. Noel Lazu coordinated the group, which initially gathered in Bridgeton and eventually traveled to the trailer park where the incident occurred. Acevedo-Diaz was captured on surveillance video in Bridgeton at the gathering location stating that she had a knife. Waters drove one of the vehicles to Harding Woods with Acevedo-Diaz as one of his occupants. Rogers exited his vehicle when the group reached the residence, and Rogers, accompanied by other suspects, confronted Detective Hershey, who identified himself as a law enforcement officer and gave commands in an effort to control the situation. Rogers and the others ignored Detective Hershey’s commands.

Despite identifying himself as a member of the NJSP, individuals at the scene continued to advance toward Detective Hershey, at which point he drew his weapon to defend himself and the witnesses. Tremaine Hadden, 32, Najzeir “Naz” Hutchings, 26, and Kareen “Kai” Warner, 23, all from Bridgeton, opened fire on Detective Hershey. Hadden shot at the detective numerous times from one vehicle, while Hutchings and Warner fired from another vehicle. Testimony from a ballistics expert demonstrated that over a dozen shots were fired at Detective Hershey, including approximately 11 that were fired by Hadden alone.

The detective was struck in the hip and seriously wounded. Several of the bullets struck occupied homes in the vicinity. Despite being critically wounded, the detective returned fire with his service weapon as the suspects fled.

Detective Hershey was taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden for treatment of his injury. He has since recovered and returned to duty.

Hadden was convicted following a trial on May 30, 2023 and sentenced to 37 years in state prison. Hutchings and Warner pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in May 2023. Hutchings was sentenced to 13 years in prison — eight years for aggravated assault and a consecutive five-year term for unlawful possession of a weapon. Warner was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated assault.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Erik Daab and Deputy Attorneys General Nicole Wise, Jennifer Davis and Abigail R. Holmes, along with Trial Assistants Nathalie Kurzawa and Maureen Hitchens, and DCJ Media Specialist Erika Neary.

The shooting investigation was conducted by the NJSP’s Major Crime Unit South, Troop “A” Criminal Investigation Office, Crime Scene Investigation Unit and Cold Case Unit, along with the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability and the Division of Criminal Justice. Arrests were made by the New Jersey State Police Fugitive and TEAMS Units. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Defense attorneys:
For Acevedo-Diaz: Al Wheeler, Esq.
For Noel Lazu: William Popjoy, Esq.
For Waters: Justin Moore, Esq.
For Rogers: Alfonso Gambone, Esq.