FATAL DISPUTE ON TRENTON SIDEWALK: 26-YEAR-OLD CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER NJ TRANSIT ARREST

A 26-year-old Trenton man has been arrested in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred earlier this month on a city sidewalk, authorities announced Monday.

Jahvel Hale was apprehended without incident by New Jersey Transit Police on the afternoon of May 19, 2025. He was located aboard the River Line in Palmyra, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors have filed a motion to detain Hale pending trial. He is charged with first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

The investigation began on the evening of May 14, when Trenton police responded to Capital Health Regional Medical Center after a man was dropped off with a stab wound to the abdomen. The victim, 48-year-old Jermaine Scott of Hamilton, was rushed into emergency surgery but succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.

A joint investigation by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force and Trenton Police Department revealed that the stabbing occurred on the sidewalk in the 200 block of Tyler Street. Authorities say the attack followed a verbal altercation between Hale and Scott, during which Hale allegedly stabbed the victim in the upper torso.

Detectives identified Hale as the suspect through witness interviews and surveillance footage. Officials credited the swift arrest to strong coordination between law enforcement agencies, particularly the assistance of New Jersey Transit Police.

The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective James Rickey of the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at (609) 989-6406.