The father of a man charged in the fatal shooting in Paterson resident last week has identified his son and his son’s girlfriend as appearing in surveillance photos taken near the crime scene, according to police.
Mathew Amaro, 27, and Tiffany Medina, 26, both of Paterson, were arrested Monday in the death of city resident Twahee Howard, 44, who was shot multiple times about 9 p.m. on June 2.
Investigators said in an affidavit of probable cause that Amaro’s father identified his son as appearing in five surveillance photos and Medina in one of the photos.
The still photos were taken from security cameras that captured the moments before, during and after the shooting, according to the affidavit.
According to police, Amaro and Medina entered a liquor store in the 600 block of Main Street shortly after 8:45 p.m. on June 2 and Amaro immediately began arguing with Howard, who was already in the store.
A store worker separated the two men, and Amaro left the business. Howard followed him outside and the two argued outside for a short time until Amaro left, according to the affidavit.
At 8:55 p.m., Amaro returned to the liquor store and asked for Howard’s whereabouts. Employees immediately locked the door and Amaro walked off, the affidavit states.
Moments later, Amaro spotted Howard a couple of blocks away on Chadwick Street. “He walked toward the victim and struck him,” police said in the affidavit.
As the two fought, Amaro is seen on video allegedly firing a handgun at the victim, according to police. The affidavit does not state why the two men had been arguing.
After the shooting, Amaro ran back to Main Street and got into a dark vehicle that sped off toward Mary Street, police said.
At the shooting scene, Paterson police recovered 15 expended 9mm shell casings, a black baseball cap, and found what appeared to be blood.
Howard was nowhere to be found, and officers learned that he had been taken to a local hospital in a private vehicle, according to the affidavit. He died a short time later.
Detectives contacted New Jersey State Police, who applied facial recognition software to still photos taken from security cameras.
The software identified the unknown man in the photo as Amaro and said he had been in a traffic accident on April 13 in which his car caught fire in the 200 block of Spring Street.
Medina was with Amaro at the time of the accident, and the two gave their names and addresses to police recording them on body worn cameras, the affidavit states.
Detectives investigating the shooting applied for a search warrant for the Main Street apartment where Amaro and Medina had said they lived together.
Armed with the warrant, detectives went to the home, where they encountered Amaro’s father, the affidavit states.
A search of the apartment turned up mail belonging to the couple, along with two gun boxes, a magazine loaded with 9mm bullets, vehicle titles and crack cocaine, according to the affidavit.
After the search, detectives interviewed Amaro’s father and showed him surveillance photos taken near the apartment, around the liquor store and at the shooting scene.
“It should be noted that (the father) stated the photos depicted his son and son’s girlfriend,” the affidavit states.
Amaro is charged with murder, conspiracy, and possession of a handgun, all first-degree crimes, along with two second-degree weapons offenses, and third-degree possession of drugs.
Medina is charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, and third-degree drug possession.
Attorney information for Amaro and Medina was not listed in court records.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the prosecutor’s office at 877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org. Paterson police can be reached at 973-321-1120.
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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
