Pine HIll Man Reported Missing Found Dead; Suspect Charged with Murdering the Man
Monday, June 29, 2020
Camden City, N.J. – A Camden man has been charged after detectives located the body of a Pine Hill man who was reported missing late Saturday, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Camden Police Chief Joseph Wysocki.
Michael Branon, 32, of Camden, has been charged with one count of first-degree Felony Murder in the homicide of Pedro Fernandez, 30, of Pine Hill.
On Saturday, police responded to a report of a possible kidnapping on the 1500 block of Pershing St. just after 11 p.m. Witnesses said they saw Fernandez being forced into a black pickup truck before an unidentified man drove off.
Around 1 a.m. on June 28, officers pulled over a truck matching the description of the vehicle used in the kidnapping and identified Branon as the driver.
Detectives located Fernandez’s body around 2 p.m. Sunday in an alleyway off the 400 block of Marlton Ave. in Camden. An investigation showed he had been fatally shot multiple times.
Branon was taken to the Camden County Jail and is awaiting a pretrial detention hearing.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Detective Andy McNeil at 856-225-8407 or Camden County Police Detective Ed Gonzalez at 856-757-7400. You can also email tips to [email protected].
All persons charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.