Story by Ethan
On February 5th, 2026, the apprehension of Felix De La Cruz-Arias, age 30, was announced by Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay. Felix De La Cruz-Arias was charged with first-degree Murder and Attempted Murder. The arrest and charges against Felix De La Cruz-Arias were a result of an investigation handled by detectives from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit and the Camden County Police Department.
According to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, at approximately 10:29 p.m. on March 12th, 2025, shots fired in the area of the 300 block of Morse Street in Camden, New Jersey, were picked up by a ShotSpotter activation. Officers from the Camden County Police Department responded to the scene to find the first victim, Hirlado-Peralta, lying on the ground suffering from several gunshot wounds. A second unnamed victim was discovered by officers at a nearby residence sustaining a single gunshot wound themselves. Both victims were transported to Cooper University Hospital for treatment, however Hirlado-Peralta was pronounced dead at 11:05 p.m.. Following the shooting a joint investigation determined that Felix De La Cruz-Arias was the individual allegedly responsible. Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Senior Detective Stephen Bezich was able to obtain information leading to the defendant’s whereabouts after he fled to Barcelona, Spain. Felix De La Cruz-Arias is currently being held in a correctional facility in Spain until he is extradited back to the United States.
The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the charges against Felix De La Cruz-Arias are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
