Ewing, NJ deli murder suspect forgot to wash evidence off sneakers, cops say

EWING — A pair of blood-stained sneakers led to the arrest of a Trenton teen who is now charged with murder in the death of the owner of a deli in June.

Shots were fired at Priori’s Deli at the corner of Hillcrest and Holman avenues about 6:10 a.m. on June 6, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri.

Oscar Palacios, 54, and his 57-year-old brother had just opened the deli when a 17-year-old wearing a dark mask that covered his face placed an order for food.

The teen then demanded money and pointed a handgun at the men and fired a shot that grazed the older brother in the forehead, according to Onofri.

The two then got into a physical fight and the teen fired another shot that landed in the older brother's abdomen. A third and fatal shot landed in the 54-year-old's chest.

Onofri said investigators used security video that captured the teen leaving the deli on a bicycle while wearing a black jacket and white sneakers with the word “AIR” in large letters on the side.

Matching sneakers

When the teen was taken into custody on a warrant for a separate crime on June 21, detectives noticed he was wearing the same sneakers as in the video.

Police said the sneakers had dried blood. The blood was a DNA match to the 57-year-old Palacios.

The teen is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree robbery, and firearms offenses. He is being held in the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.