An Elizabeth man has been indicted on criminal charges in the beating death of a Newark woman last summer, Union County Prosecutor William Daniel announced Friday.

A Union County grand jury returned the charges of first-degree murder and two related, second-degree weapons offenses for 21-year-old Oliver I. Tzarax-Lopez, in connection with the death of 37-year-old Nohora C. Agudelo.

At 2:30 a.m. on June 28, 2020, Elizabeth Police responded to suspicious activity reported in the area of East Broad Street and North Broad Street.

Officers found a woman, later identified as Agudelo, who had suffered severe head injuries, according to prosecutors.

An autopsy confirmed it was a case of homicide caused by blunt-force trauma.

Tzarax-Lopez was criminally charged on August 5, 2020, but remained at large for more than three weeks.

On August 27, he was arrested at a diner in Manhattan by law enforcement including U.S. Marshals officers.

Anyone with further information about Agudelo’s death has been urged to contact the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. Christopher Scuorzo at 908-472-0492 or Sgt. Lamar Hartsfield at 908-451-1873.

NJ teachers and educators caught in sex crime busts

Over the past few years, state lawmakers have taken on the challenge of dealing with accused child predators among the ranks of teachers and educators.

In 2018, the so-called “pass the trash” law went into effect, requiring stricter New Jersey school background checks related to child abuse and sexual misconduct.

The follow individuals were arrested over the past several years. Some have been convicted and sentenced to prison, while others have accepted plea deals for probation.

Others cases are still pending, including some court delays amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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