Stabbing victim in hotel lobby — Bergen County, NJ man charged with murder

ELIZABETH — A Bergen County man has been arrested in connection with the stabbing death of a New Yorker in a hotel near Newark Liberty International Airport.

Javan Johnson, 30, of Bergenfield, is charged with first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

According to the Union County Prosecutor's Office, officers in the early morning hours of Monday responded to the Country Inn & Suites and found a stabbing victim, 37-year-old Marlon Pantin, lying on the lobby floor. Pantin was transported to University Hospital in Newark, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.

An investigation resulted in the identification of Johnson as a suspect. He surrendered to authorities on Monday evening.

"We are grateful for the collaboration from the local law enforcement agencies who assisted our office in locating and apprehending this suspect," said Union County Prosecutor William Daniel. "And we hope that this arrest can bring some small measure of comfort to all those grieving Mr. Pantin."

Dino Flammia is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com