 Emmanuel Bernard |
 Nahzair Ellen |
 Afranni Ferreira |
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 Izaiah Hernandez |
 Rhyonne Jackson |
 Ernest Wilder |
Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Passaic Police Chief Luis A. Guzman announce that based upon an investigation by the Passaic Police Department, Emmanuel Bernard, 18 years old, from Clifton, New Jersey; Nahzair Ellen, 21 years old, from Passaic, New Jersey; Afranni Ferreira, 18 years old, from Clifton, New Jersey; Izaiah Hernandez, 21 years old, from Passaic, New Jersey; Rhyonne Jackson, 21 years old, from Passaic, New Jersey; and Ernest Wilder, 20 years old, from Passaic, New Jersey, were arrested in relation to a shooting that occurred on June 18, 2023, in the area Brinkerhoff Place and Van Winkle Avenue in Passaic, New Jersey. Emmanuel Bernard is charged with three counts of Aggravated Assault, Second Degree; Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Second Degree; three counts of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Second Degree; and Criminal Mischief, Fourth Degree. Afranni Ferreira, Izaiah Hernandez and Ernest Wilder are all charged with Aggravated Assault, Second Degree; Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault, Second Degree; Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Second Degree; Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Second Degree; and Criminal Mischief, Fourth Degree. Nahzair Ellen and Rhyonne Jackson are both charged with Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault, Second Degree.
On June 18, 2023, at approximately 5:46 a.m., members of the Passaic Police Department responded to the area of Van Winkle Avenue and Brinkerhoff Place in Passaic, New Jersey, on a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, police located a crime scene, but no victim was located. Based on the investigation, police determined that Emmanuel Bernard had fired a handgun at a Honda Accord driving on Brinkerhoff Place in Passaic, New Jersey. As Emmanuel Bernard fired at the Honda, three men exited from a Jeep Cherokee and fired shots at Bernard as he was shooting at the Honda Accord. An investigation by the Passaic Police Department’s Detective Bureau led to the identification of Afranni Ferrreira, Izaiah Hernandez and Ernest Wilder as being the three men who exited the Jeep and fired shots at Emmanuel Bernard, and to the identification of Nazhair Ellen and Rhyonne Jackson as coconspirators with Ferreira, Hernandez and Wilder.
The sentencing exposure for Aggravated Assault, Second Degree, is 5-10 years New Jersey State Prison with 85% to be served before parole eligibility pursuant to the No Early Release Act and three years parole supervision after release; on Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Assault, Second Degree, is 5-10 years New Jersey State Prison with 85% to be served before parole eligibility pursuant to the No Early Release Act and three years parole supervision after release; on Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, Second Degree, it is 5-10 years New Jersey State Prison with a minimum of 42 months before parole eligibility pursuant to the Graves Act; on Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose, Second Degree, it is 5- 10 years New Jersey State Prison with 42 months of parole ineligibility pursuant to the Graves Act; and on Criminal Mischief, Fourth Degree it is up to 18 months in New Jersey State Prison.
The State has filed motions for pretrial detention against Nahzair Ellen, Afranni Ferreira, Izaiah Hernandez, and Ernest Wilder that will be heard by the Hon. Miguel de la Carrera, J.S.C. on June 28, 2023. The State has filed a motion for pretrial detention against Emmanuel Bernard that will be heard by the Hon. Scott T. Rumana, J.S.C. on June 30, 2023.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office asks anyone with additional information about this incident to contact us on our tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org or contact the Passaic Police Department Detective Bureau at 973-365-3938.