Jersey City Couple Killed During Suspected Carjacking

Michael Muchioki and Nia Haqq

A couple who had just returned from their engagement party was fatally shot in Jersey City early Sunday morning. According to the Star-Ledger, police believe that Michael Muchioki and Nia Haqq may have been killed in a botched carjacking: They were found, each with a gunshot wound in the head, near Haqq's Honda CRV on Randolph Avenue, right by Muchioki's apartment. Muchioki's mother said, "My heart has been ripped out."

The Star-Ledger also reports, "Based on the crime scene and witness statements, authorities believe the couple were approached by three carjackers — a man and two women — after they parked, but that an anti-theft device prevented the car from being easily moved, [Hudson County Prosecutor Edward] DeFazio said. He said the carjackers left the scene in a gold Pontiac Grand Am." DeFazio asked for the community's help, "These perpetrators have to be brought to justice."

The couple had been celebrating their engagement with friends in New Brunwick. Their friends say Muchioki worked in IT and Haqq for MTV. Muchioki's parents hope their killers will be found; his mother said, "We loved him. We will continue loving him...My only son. It's hard for me."

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By Jen Chung in News on April 5, 2010 2:31 PM

Comments [rss]

Snoopy

It's a shame that Jersey City which has some really beautiful great old neighborhoods and reminds me of the Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill areas in Brooklyn has to live with this kind of scum.

Guest

i'm completely speechless.

dailygrind

This breaks my heart. Totally, completely horrific. I used to live a few blocks away from here; it's a rough area.

Everyone deserves to be able to come home safe at night. Everyone. But especially two people getting ready to start their lives together.

I have to believe that those bastards will fry in hell, but it would be awfully nice if the Jersey City PD facilitated some frying in this life first. JCPD: please catch these bastards. Give this family a tiny bit of comfort as they move into lives that will never be the same.

Boogie Down

How terrible. I feel so badly for their friends and families. It's so sad that life can be treated like a disposable commodity.

Bottomless Chips

There's been horrific news stories lately. These scumbags should fry.

r1b2

You're right, it seems the news has been especially brutal lately.

r1b2

You're right, it seems the news has been especially brutal lately.

Splicer

There is no justification for this -- none. I don't care how fucked up a life you had or whatever bullshit excuse some apologist can come up with, the people who perpetrated this crime are wild beasts who need to be hunted down and stopped the hard way. I hope that when the cops catch them, one of them goes for a weapon (or looks to be), this way the police can empty their guns into this trash. Bonus points for leaving the bodies of these animals on the street for people to gawk at before dragging the carcasses away.

inoyourider

What a shame.

Hopefully a gold Grand Am won't be hard to find.

And with scumbags like these criminals I'm sure they weren't smart enough to use someone else's car.