Charge upgraded to murder

NEWARK – 

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has upgraded charges against a Belleville man to murder in an alleged assault on his roommate.

Authorities say that the accused, Edwin Andujar, 49, got into a dispute with Thomas Parent, 59, on Aug. 7 and allegedly stabbed Parent in the stomach.

A report in northjersey.com referenced a Belleville police incident report on the matter saying that officers responded to a disturbance at a Wallace St. residence where they found Andujar in a wheelchair with multiple stab wounds to his stomach and back. He was taken to UMDNJ in Newark.

Andujar was then charged with attempted murder.

“Parent died from his injuries on Aug. 12. On Aug. 13, we upgraded the charges to murder and weapons offenses,” said Essex County Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

Andujar is being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility on $1 million bail, Carter said.

No trial date has been announced.

-Ron Leir 

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