Story by Ethan
On January 2nd, 2025, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca, and Elizabeth Police Director Earl Graves announced the charges pending against Jose Melo, age 52. Jose Melo was charged with one count of first-degree Murder, one count of third-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and one count of fourth-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. These charges were filed against Jose Melo for his involvement in the stabbing of Naket Jadix Trinidad Maldonado, age 31.
According to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, at around 9:12 a.m. on December 30th, 2024, a residence on Florida Street in Elizabeth, New Jersey, reported a stabbing. When Elizabeth Police arrived, they located Naket Jadix Trinidad Maldonado who was dead at the scene.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office states that the charges against Jose Melo are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
