ISELIN TEEN ARRESTED WEEKS AFTER SHOTS FIRED INCIDENT AT APPLEBEE’S IN LINDEN

An 18-year-old from Iselin has been arrested in connection with a shooting that occurred inside a Linden Applebee’s restaurant late last month.

According to the Linden Police Department, Dwayne Exilus was taken into custody without incident on Monday, April 7, 2025, by the Union County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Squad at a residence in Iselin.

Exilus’s arrest comes more than two weeks after he allegedly fled the scene of a late-night shooting that shook the Aviation Plaza area.

The incident took place just after midnight on March 23, when Linden officers responded to reports of gunfire inside the Applebee’s restaurant. Upon arrival, officers discovered multiple shots had been fired, prompting several individuals to flee the scene.

A description of the suspects was broadcast to nearby units, leading officers to two males near the intersection of West 15th Street and South Stiles Street. Both attempted to flee when approached. One suspect—a 17-year-old from Newark—was caught after a brief struggle, and two handguns were recovered. The second suspect escaped.

In the following weeks, a Linden Police Juvenile Aid Bureau investigation identified Exilus as the individual who had eluded capture that night.

He now faces a fourth-degree charge of obstruction of the administration of law and is being held at the Essex County Jail pending a court appearance.

The shooting remains under active investigation by the Juvenile Aid Bureau. Authorities have not yet released information about a possible motive or whether any injuries were reported.