A Jersey City teen has been charged with multiple weapons offenses after he tried to discard a stolen, loaded handgun on a Hoboken Housing Authority rooftop, police said.
Jamal Pittman, 19, was arrested May 4 and charged with burglary in possession of a firearm, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of prohibited weapon, large capacity magazine, receiving handgun ammunition, obstruction of the administration of law, obstruction of the administration of the law for discarding a firearm, resisting arrest and theft of property which is lost, mislaid, or delivered by mistake.
The arrest and recovery of a handgun came less than a week after the shooting death former Hoboken High football and basketball star Damon Murray not far from where Pittman was arrested.
Sgt. Adam Colon and police officers Josh Campoverde, Frank Losurdo, Christopher Barral, Ramon Estrella and Enrico Gnassi responded to the 500 block of Marshall Drive at 5:30 p.m. May 4 on reports that a group of people, believed to be in possession of a firearm, were trespassing in a stairwell of a Hoboken Housing Authority (HHA) building.
Colon recognized Pittman on a fourth-floor stairwell landing and knew he was not an HHA resident. Pittman saw law enforcement officers, he ran off and ignored calls to stop, Hoboken public safety spokeswoman Marci Rubin said.
Pittman was chased to the roof, where he was taken into custody after trying to descend from a landing. Officers found a handgun and ammunition on a part of the roof easily accessible from the landing. It was later learned the handgun was reported missing out of Georgia.
According to the criminal complaint, the gun was loaded with seven full metal jacket and three hollow-point bullets.
After processing, Pittman was transported to the Hudson County jail.
“I would like to commend the brave efforts of the officers who answered this call, and all Hoboken police officers, who put their lives on the line each and every day to protect residents,” said Police Chief Steven Aguiar. “The swift action taken during this call took one more gun off the streets.”
Albert Morales, the man accused of killing Murray on April 28, is still in Massachusetts awaiting extradition to New Jersey.
