Lakewood man’s killer still at large
BY JOYCE BLAY
Staff Writer

LAKEWOOD — A township man met a violent death in a downtown business last week, and police are still searching for his killer.

According to Lakewood police Sgt. Maureen McGilloway, officers responded to a report on Feb. 7 that a man had been shot inside the Man, Woman and Child Barber Shop at 235 First Avenue.

McGilloway said when officers arrived on the scene at 4:42 p.m., three minutes after receiving the call, they found gunshot victim Francisco Jose Olivares, 21, of Lakewood. Olivares was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:03 p.m.

Police apprehended James Russell, 21, of Lakewood, one of the suspects wanted in connection with the shooting, but the shooter and two other men are still at large, said McGilloway.

Witnesses said that Tyleek Jabbar Baker, 25, of Manchester, was in possession of a handgun when he fled westbound on First Street in a light-colored, four-door vehicle.

Baker is a black male, about 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 180 pounds with a thin build and medium skin tone. He has brown eyes, short black hair with multiple tattoos on both shoulders and both forearms. Letters are tattooed on his stomach, but police did not specify what the letters read.

Although his last known address was Manchester, Baker has ties to Lakewood, Asbury Park and Baltimore, Md. Police describe Baker as armed and dangerous. He has been charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and the murder of Olivares.

Police are also seeking Daniel C. Thomas, 18, and Jamell Duprey Scott, 20, in connection with the murder. The charge against both Lakewood residents is complicity in homicide, which McGilloway said alleges that the men conspired, promoted, facilitated, planned, aided or assisted Baker in the murder of Olivares.

Thomas is a black male, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 170 pounds with a medium build. Scott is a black male, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with a thin build.

McGilloway said police do not know if the men are still in the area. She declined comment when asked if the shooting was gang related.

“All the suspects have previous arrest records, but no previous charges involving murder,” she said Monday.

McGilloway confirmed that police had been called to the same area in the past.

“There are a lot of calls for service to that area, but not necessarily that business,” she said.